Flawless: Prequel to Perfect
by shannygoat
Summary: This is the Prequel to Perfect. Neither Dave Batista nor Britain Weis were looking for love. But can they deny it when they both find what they thought they didn't want in each other? Dave Batista OC.
1. Chapter 1

Title: Flawless

By: Shannygoat

Rating: NC-17, **strong sexual content**, adult themes, language, violence

Characters: Dave Batista, Triple H, Randy Orton, Ric Flair, Chris Jericho, John Cena, Eddie Guerrero, Rey Mysterio

Summary: This is the Prequel to Perfect. Neither Dave Batista nor Britain Weis were looking for love. But can they deny it when they both find what they thought they didn't want in each other?

Disclaimer: I do not know or own any of the people in this story who are not born of my imagination. The characters of the WWE superstars are loosely based off of thier tv personas and I do not have permission to use them in my fiction. The are owned by themselves and managed by Vince McMahon. I also do not intend any disrespect to the memory or family of Eddie Guerrero. I respected him and I am honored to use his character in my story. Thanks for not sewing.

_A/N 1: When I think of how Britain and Dave met, it reminds me of 9 1/2 Weeks. So be warned, there will be a lot of sex in this story. As most of you know, I try not to write really graphic sex scenes. There are certain words that I don't use...well I will if the character is saying the word, but not to describe sex. But even though they'll be getting busy, they will have a plot, I promise. I always saw them as really lustful before they get to know each other and the lust fades and turns into passion. I hope I can pull that off. Here we go..._

When Dave Met Britain

_Fucking photo shoots…this is such a fucking waste of time._ That is exactly how Dave Batista felt every time he had to give up a Saturday. Being a WWE Superstar on the rise definitely had its downfalls. Sure the job was great, finally after years of body building, his muscles were coming in handy; he got to travel the world over, had countless women throwing themselves at him night after night, more money than he could ever dream of making…but this fucking photo shoot shit wasn't all it was cracked up to be. As he stood in the same spot, watching the bright light of the flash go off in his eyes for what seemed like an eternity, he found himself getting more pissed by the minute. _I swear if he needs to change that fucking film again, I'm gonna kill somebody._

This was the stupidest thing he had ever done in his life. They had him standing there in this insanely bright room, with his arms stretched out, wearing a pair of work out pants and nothing else. He felt like a slab of meat, watching the make-up woman and the photographer's assistant look at him. He could hear them whispering…they weren't even trying to be subtle. _What the fuck does running my hand down my abs have to do with wrestling?_ He made a disgusted face as he slowly started to move his hands downward.

"That's lunch." He heard the photographer say. Dave had an attitude. This was bullshit. Here it was supposed to be the first day of his vacation…the first vacation he had taken in two years and he was stuck inside taking fucking pictures. He wasn't hungry, so why should he care that they all wanted a lunch break. Cursing to himself, Dave put on his shirt and walked out of the room.

As he approached the food table, he noticed a small crowd gathered at another door. Totally uninterested in anything that was happening in the studio, he studied the food on the table turning his lip up at the selection. Donuts, cake, carrot sticks, vitamin water…this selection sucked. As he made his way around the table, hoping the view of the food at a different angle would spark his appetite, he happened to look up.

She was wearing black stilettos and a black lace bra and panty set. He watched silently as she walked out of the room tying her robe that stopped just before her knee. She took long strides across the floor, her calf muscles flexing independently with each step she took. She was beautiful, stunning even. In all of 30 seconds, he memorized everything about her. She had long black hair that hung down to the small of her back, which she constantly tried to sling over her shoulder. She had the most beautiful skin tone; like caramel, only creamier, full lips – the bottom one was especially plump and high cheekbones. But the most striking feature were her eyes. He couldn't quite make out the color, but they were pale; the kind of eyes you would see on some kind of Antarctic canine, like a wolf.

She seemed completely oblivious to all of the men looking at her. He noticed how she ducked her head down a little as she fought with the tie on her robe. Quietly, she walked over to the table and grabbed a bottle of water. He wondered how long she had been trapped in that place and if she was as miserable about it as he was. The ringing of her phone made him snap out of his musings and he silently watched her answer it.

"Hello?" She answered the phone with a smile in her voice. _Probably a boyfriend._ He had successfully checked out her finger and noticed she wasn't wearing a ring. _She's probably got a man Dave…always a day late and a dollar short._ "Hey you…it's going ok, but why didn't you tell me I was working with Tyson? You know I hate working with that guy." She moved with a fluid grace, still paying no attention to anyone else in the room. "So what he's hot, I swear he takes every shoot as an opportunity to touch my ass. We're doing a fucking ad for cologne; I don't have cologne in my ass." Even though she sounded pissed, she still kept a smile on her face. "I know. You so owe me...that's why your the best agent in the world? Ok, I'll talk to you later."

She rounded the table to the same side he was on and started to lean over to grab a donut. "Sorry." She said with a smile when her hand brushed his. Finally she looked up at him and gave him a quizzical look. "You know, if you're going to stare, you could at least say hi." She whispered loudly, never losing that beautiful smile on her face.

Dave couldn't believe it; she had noticed him staring at her. He didn't even mean to stare; he was trying to figure out what color her eyes were. "Oh really?" He wanted to kick himself. He hadn't tried to pick up a woman in years. After his last divorce he had dated some and even had 2 semi-serious girlfriends, but _all_ of those women had pursued him. What was he supposed to say? Since he couldn't think of anything good, he smiled and continued to stare at her.

"You still didn't speak." She bit her bottom lip and laughed when he smiled and cocked his head to the side. "You know that head turning thing? I can still see you blush." She was a feisty one, this woman with the beautiful eyes. There was something about her that he was instantly attracted to. It had been quite some time since he found himself interested in someone in more parts of his body than just his penis.

Dave shook his head and held out his hand. "Hi…I'm Dave." He closed his hand around hers softly and smiled when he noticed how her hand seemed to disappear in his. "And you are?"

For some reason, she had forgotten her name. Men didn't have this affect on her…not anymore; especially not pretty boys, and boy was he pretty. Most of the men she had met in her life, especially the pretty ones, had been real dicks. But there was something in the boyish way he cocked his head to the side to try to control his smile that was inviting. "Britain."

"Britain…we're ready for you." They heard a woman say, neither one of them letting go of the other's hand.

"I gotta go." She said nodding her head toward the voice. "It was nice meeting you Dave."

Dave smiled and reluctantly let go of her hand. "Would you like to have lunch?"

Britain laughed and pointed to the table. "I think we just did."

_Great, you're fucking up Batista._ "This hardly constitutes as lunch. Would you like to get a real meal?" Dave looked up and noticed a man standing in the doorway eyeing him. Britain must have noticed too because the look she gave him when she turned back around said that guy was the one who had a hard time keeping his hands off of her.

She shrugged. "I don't know how long I'm gonna be here." Lunch didn't sound that bad. At least if it was lunch, he wouldn't be expecting sex. Not that she would turn him down if he hinted toward it. She was interested if the package was as nice as the wrapping.

Gently, he took her other hand and removed her cell phone from it. He took the liberty of programming in his number and handing it back to her, never once taking his eyes off of her. "Call me when you're done and I'll pick you up."

_Forward…I like that. _She didn't say anything but smiled and turned back to go into her own studio. She noticed Dave walking behind her and she stopped when she heard his voice.

"Tyson? Good to meet you…Dave Batista." He shook hands with the young male model and trapped him in a man hug. Getting close to Tyson's ear, Dave leaned down to speak quietly. "If you touch the lady's ass again, I'll break your fucking hands." He smiled at Tyson and patted him on the back. As he turned to go back into his circle of hell, he winked at Britain and smiled when she smiled. That smile kept him from slaying someone through the rest of his photo shoot and he found that he couldn't wait for it to be over.

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Dave Batista was considered a man among men. He's the epitome of manliness, sexiness, fineness; he was arguably the sexiest man on the planet and he knew it. So why was he sweating bullets when his cell phone rang? She was just a woman, but good Lord, he couldn't tell his pulse that. As soon as he saw the number, a number that he wasn't familiar with, he knew it had to be her. He tried to play it cool; he took in a deep breath and hit the send button to connect the call.

"Hello?" He made sure his voice was extra deep when he answered. He was oozing sex over the phone.

Britain chuckled; this was going to be too easy. "Hi Dave? It's Britain." _God, his voice is vibrating through the phone._

"Hey, how's it going?" _Real smooth Dave._

"Good." This was awkward. Britain never had a problem talking to men. "I'm sorry it's so late, but we just finished. I know we missed lunch, but would you like to get dinner?"

_Perfect._ "No, I'm free. I was hoping you would call me." He looked around his room for the clock. "I don't really know much about Los Angeles, you have any suggestions?"

"Um, there's this good little Italian place, not to far from the studio. Or there's a Mexican spot on the Strip. What are you in the mood for?"

_You._ "Anything. I'm easy."

"I was hoping you'd say that." _Shit. I didn't mean to say that out loud. _"I mean, I like my men easy…shit…" She couldn't believe that she was tripping over her words. Britain did not stumble when it came to men. She was usually very forward and just went after what she wanted, but this guy was catching her off guard. "Ok, let's start over. What kind are food do you want to get?"

Dave couldn't stop laughing. At least he wasn't the only one that felt like a high schooler with a crush. "Whatever you decide. How about I pick you up in an hour and we'll figure it out."

"I'm staying at the Hilton in West Hollywood. It's a little out of the way, so how about I just meet you somewhere?" She held her breath. She hoped she didn't come off like she didn't trust him to pick her up. Actually she didn't trust herself. It had only been a few weeks since she vowed that she wasn't dating for at least a month. Over the weeks prior to that decision, she had at least two dates a week, all but three had ended up in one night stands. Her loins needed a break and so did her heart.

Dave sensed her hesitation, but always being the gentleman, he tried to ease her mind. "Look, it's just dinner. I'm on vacation alone and I really would like some company. I can pick you up, it's no problem. Besides, I think the drive to your hotel would probably calm my nerves." He decided honesty was to be his approach and was surprised when she gave him directions and her room number.

By the time he ended the call, he cursed himself for saying he'd be there in an hour. He still needed to shower and shave and find something to wear. For Dave to be a man's man, he was certainly a metrosexual. He took more time getting ready then most women. If it was one thing he prided himself on, it was his appearance. Unless he was going to the gym, he never walked out the door looking a hot mess; everything about him was always very well put together and carefully planned. Maybe it had something to do with the fact that clothes just hung on his body like a painted work of art.

After the fastest shower known to man and a shave that he would regret in the morning, Dave quickly dressed in black pants and a button down blue shirt. He opted for semi casual, not knowing which restaurant they were going to or how she would be dressed. Picking black Rockports to complete the ensemble, he grabbed his keys and his wallet and headed out to his rental.

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Britain stood in front of the full length mirror fastening her bra. She looked at her image and started talking to herself. "You are not going to fuck him. _You _are not going to fuck him. You are _not_ going to fuck him." A little pep talk always did the trick, especially since some parts of her body didn't always listen. This was just dinner, not dinner and sex. _Dick definitely isn't on the menu tonight._

She quickly dressed in a white and blue sun dress and found her strappy sling back sandals. Giving herself one final look in the mirror she heard a knock on the door. She held her breath as she opened the door and then her palms started to sweat. "Shit…this is gonna be harder than I thought." She wasn't sure if she said that out loud or not, but it was the truth. He looked like hot sex on a platter.

"Ok?" He looked confused. He wasn't sure what she was talking about, but if she was thinking what he was thinking, then he could understand. She looked absolutely beautiful. She had pulled her hair up, exposing just how long and elegant her neck was. She had these little hoop earrings in her ears that made him want to nibble on them. _Just get through dinner._ He didn't go on vacation to meet some chick and get all swept up, but damn…

Britain turned and grabbed her purse before walking out in the hallway. "Sorry…so did you decide what you wanna eat?"

"Mexican sounds good."

_I'm part Mexican._ She bit her lip to keep from saying it out loud. Britain nodded and watched as he started to walk toward the elevator; she couldn't help but to notice his ass. _You are NOT going to fuck him…well not tonight, anyway._

_A/N: I know I just finished Maintaining Perfection, but I already have 5 chapters of this story written, so I figured why wait. I'm at work right now and I'm starting on the first chapter of the Maddy/Randy story called Age is Just A Number. _

_I find myself laughing because I now have reqests to do a Jeff/Chase story, Maddy/Randy story, and a John/X story ...why not just write one more story with all of them in it...it's so much easier. Also, someone mentioned that they wanted to know what happened with Alli...I've been toying with doing a femslash story, but I haven't decided if I could make that her story. I don't want to be campy and have every story I make about them. But, they are entertaining so I won't say it won't happen. We'll see._

_Thanks again for your support and I hope you enjoy this. _


	2. First Date

**Repost: God damn it! I swear I need an editor! After I read this thing for 1,000 times, it says what I want it to say...not what it should. Hopefully now it's typo free.**

First Date

Dave was relatively quiet during the drive to the restaurant, mainly because he knew if he opened his mouth, he would sound like a complete idiot. He tried his best to concentrate on the road ahead of him, but it was something about her knee…that innocent amount of flesh that was turned toward him. Granted he had seen her in less clothes than that earlier when she was working, but the way she sat in the passenger's seat with her, smooth, clean-shaven, no pantyhose on to block his view, legs crossed that kept diverting his attention. That and she smelled like baby lotion; it was a soft scent and very feminine. He was use to women that drowned themselves in Obsession, Liz Claiborne, or any other popular perfume at the time. But Britain was different; she went for the simple smells, the ones that he found he liked the best.

Britain tried her best to control her impulse to straddle Dave as he drove. It was something about the black leather interior of the truck, his big hand gripping the steering wheel, Cinderella pumping through the stereo and Dave…with those few buttons undone exposing his chest, the way his Adam's apple bobbed when he swallowed, the rhythm that his thick fingers made as he drummed the beat of the song against his thigh, his way hair styled to perfection, those Dolce sunglasses and the scent of Polo making her wonder if his sheets smelled like that. Dave didn't know it, but he was about to become the victim of a sexual assault. Everything about this man screamed _jump me_ and if he wasn't careful, she would do just that. She noticed how every now and then his head would turn and his eyes would sweep across her leg, so she decided to cross them toward him to give him a better view.

Britain wasn't what one would call a loose woman, be she sure as hell wasn't very picky either. She was selective in the _kinds_ of guys she would go out with, but that's about it. Unless the guy had managed to really piss her off, she couldn't remember a date in recent history where her date didn't go home _really_ happy. Not that she minded either; she could usually tell what most guys were about when they spoke to her. She was about the same thing, but there was still a part of her that was hoping for something more. What more, she didn't know. Love didn't really exist; she had enough crappy relationships to know that for a fact.

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The restaurant was dimly lit, there was soft music playing in the background and a minimal crowd creating the optimal conditions for conversation. After their drinks were served, they sat waiting for their order; this was the time to get to know her. He paid particular attention to the long strokes her lashes made when she blinked. "Britain…that's an interesting name."

"Yeah. My parents were hippies but they won't admit it." She flashed a smile and tilted her head slightly. _You're not going to fuck him, so stop flirting._ "They decided to name me after where I was conceived."

"What's your last name?" He couldn't remember catching the first names of women he had slept with recently, much less asking then their last names.

"Weis."

"Vice as in a bad habit?" _I wonder what kind of vices she has._ He found himself smiling at the prospect.

"No Weis, with a W although it's pronounced with a V. It's German."

"You don't look German." His voice was low as he leaned in closer to the table to look at her. Nothing about her said German…sexy, but not German. Her features were too ethnic to be just German. Her cheek bones screamed Native American, the fullness of her lips and her hips said African American or Latin…she was so much more than German.

"I don't look a lot of things." She sat back in her chair and studied his face. He was absolutely beautiful. His complexion looked like he'd grown up in the Mediterranean, but his eyes were small and slightly slanted in the corners giving them an Asian appearance. He had beautifully smooth skin, especially for a man. And that little goatee beard thing was just fucking hot. _I wonder what that would feel like on my…_ "My brother and I are what you'd call mulato. It's a horrible word, it means mule, but it's the only one that fits." She looked up and noticed that he was actually looking at her face. His eyes weren't on her chest. _Maybe I should've worn a different dress. _"My dad's from Munich. He taught me and my brother German. He has the thickest accent and speaks in this broken English; sometimes I take pity on him and just speak German with him." She laughed thinking about her father. Her father had proved to her that he was the only man she could ever depend on. "My mom's American. But my grandma is from Mexico and my granddad is black. My mom taught us Spanish."

Dave found her family history intriguing. She had more in common with him than he thought. "My dad was Filipino and my mom's Greek. They're both first generation American's. When I was little, I use to speak Tagalog with my grandfather…he was a cab driver and didn't speak that much English. I use to ride along with him sometimes and tell him what the passengers were talking about. But after he died, I forgot it. My dad refused to speak it and my mom never spoke Greek…well not to me anyway." Though Dave's family wasn't as into their heritage as Britain's, he still felt like there was a connection with her being from a mixed heritage. "So you're fluent in both languages?" He watched as she nodded. "How do you say, you have beautiful eyes in German?"

Without hesitation she responded. "Du hast schöne Augen." She laughed at the face he made. Truthfully she could have said I'm not wearing any underwear and he wouldn't have known. "It's not exactly a romance language. It sounds better in Spanish. Tienes ojos hermosos."

He found himself captivated at that very moment. Just hearing that little giggle she made and those sexy words coming out of her mouth made him hard. He wondered what her voice would sound like if she spoke Spanish to him, while he was on top of her. _I wonder if she's giggler or a screamer._ "You do you know…have beautiful eyes." He loved that giggle and the way she blushed even more.

_Stop it. You're not sleeping with him; I don't care how sexy he is._ "Thanks. So do you." She could feel those warm brown eyes looking at her, making her sweat. They were such a tranquil shade. She could easily look into them and see everything about him that she needed to know. "So… you're on vacation? Where's home?"

"Tampa, but I'm originally from DC."

"Get out. I'm from Baltimore, but I live in Miami." Small world, they only lived 5 hours away from each other. That's assuming that she would want see him again _after_ she slept with him. _You're NOT sleeping with him!_

"I live there with my daughters." He had noticed that his kids had been the turn off point for most women that were looking for more than just a quick roll in the hay with him. His children were the reason that his last two relationships failed. His daughter's didn't like them and that was what he used as his measuring stick. After his second wife, he decided that if his girls didn't like who he was dating, he wasn't dating them anymore.

Britain liked the idea of a family man. At least if he had daughters he would have a clue as how to treat a woman, which is more than she could say for most guys. "How many children do you have?"

"Three." He reached into his pocket and pulled out his wallet. He found a small picture and handed it to Britain. "This is Chase, she's 17. She's so smart; she's looking at colleges right now. The one in the middle is my 13 year old, Madison. All she can think about now are boys and the telephone. And the tall one on the end is my baby girl…Allin; she's 11. She's an athlete."

"Allin? That's different."

He nodded. "My ex-wife's father died a few months before she was born. She's named after him." Dave spoke with pride and a hint of a giggle of his own when he talked about his children. Anyone listening could tell he was a proud father.

"I love kids. I want a bunch of them, but not for a few years." Britain studied the picture and smiled. Those girls looked happy, all posing around him, flexing their muscles with him. They looked at him like she looked at her father, like there was no other man in the world greater. "They're beautiful." She flipped the picture over and read the back. "_Daddy, thanks for the trip. Disney 2001 – Love Your Princess. _Princess?"

Dave's smile grew wider, if that were possible. "Chase…she's the princess."

Britain looked confused. Granted she didn't have a sister to compete with her father's affections, but should all his girls be special? "Why aren't they all princesses?"

"Because this one is a pumpkin and this one is a peanut." He laughed as he pointed to each of his girls revealing their pet names.

Britain pointed at Chase in the photo. "Does she look like her mom?" She could definitely see how much the other two girls resembled him; both with his tan skin, dark hair and dark eyes, but Chase looked completely different. She was paler than the other two and was blonde with blue eyes.

Dave shook his head. Chase didn't look anything like Emily except for the dimples and the shape of her face. "No. She has a different father. I adopted her when I married her mother."

_Awww, I could eat you up._ Damn him for being sweet. She had promised that she would not sleep with him, but she had a soft spot for a sensitive man. _Shit! "_So what were like 12 when you adopted her?"

"21."

"You're 36?" She tried not to show her surprise. 36 wasn't old and he did have the body of 18 year old_ and_ older men were usually much more knowledgeable about the finer things in life…like how to give a great orgasm. "So when you were 21, I was 10." She laughed at the irony. "Why is it when you think of someone being so much older when you're a kid it's disgusting, but at 25, 36 isn't that old?"

_25? She's too young, Dave. I would kill someone my age trying to pick up Chase._ "You're a baby." But even if she was young, he was only in town for 10 days. He wanted make the most out of this vacation. He never had to see her again, even if she _was _interesting and not stuck on herself. Besides, younger women were an ego boost, even to the world's sexiest man. Younger women made him feel younger; they were more excitable and easier to please. It was an older man's duty to completely turn out a much younger woman. _If she puts that cherry in her mouth, I swear I'm gonna jump across this table._

She carefully lifted the cherry out of her glass and gently placed it in her mouth and with grace, she removed the stem. She knew she had him, by the way he staring at her. _You're still not fucking him._ "I'm not a baby." She said softly looking him in the eye. Without thinking she tucked her bottom lip in between her teeth and dragged it out slowly so that only one small part of her lip remained captured. It was slow, it was seductive and it was totally unintentional.

_Oh my God. _"Don't do that." He whispered as he watched that plump lip disappear between her teeth.

"What?" Her smile got bigger as her voice got softer. _Damn it, stop flirting!_ But he started it; if he didn't whisper she wouldn't have goose bumps and be wondering what it would feel like to hear him whisper in her ear…to have his breath on her neck. _He _wasn't playing fair. _No sex, no sex, no sex._ Britain had always lacked willpower, especially when it came to an attractive man.

Dave licked his lips as his smile increased. _She has no idea…_ "That thing with your lip."

_Stop smiling._ "Why?"

"Because I like it way too much."

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Dave held Britain's much smaller hand in his as they walked through the hotel. Her hands were soft and incredibly warm. He still couldn't help but to watch her calves move as she walked toward the elevator. The heel on those sandals gave her some height. She was at least 5'10" with those shoes on. He wondered if her long legs could wrap completely around his waist. _But she has to leave those shoes on._ As they got in the elevator, he couldn't say _anything _because _everything_ he wanted to say was completely inappropriate. He was sure that he could get invited into her room, but what would happen then? He would bang her and then be bored for 9 more days. If nothing else, she was great to talk to. Maybe if he played it smooth, he'd get to know her a little more _then_ he'd sleep with her.

This was the part of the date that Britain always dreaded…the goodnight kiss. Half of the time she didn't even really like the guy, but she always felt obligated to kiss them. She hated not knowing who should make the first move. She wasn't an aggressive woman, honest, but not aggressive; men usually swooned over her. It was very rare that she would do anything to initiate a date, a kiss, or sex with a man she didn't know. She wondered how long it would take for him to try to kiss her. _No tongue, because the next thing you know, you're gonna be naked._

"I had a really good time tonight." Dave was standing in front of her, close enough to really see the pale bluish-grey color in her eyes. _God she's beautiful._

"Me too." The anticipation was excruciating. If he was going to kiss her, he should do it. Otherwise she would go to sleep _really_ pissed off.

Dave lowered his head to look at his hands, then let his eyes drift up to hers. "Would you like to get breakfast with me tomorrow?" His voice was becoming softer and softer. Pretty soon he would just be moving his lips. He didn't mean to whisper, but being that close to her was stealing his voice away. He couldn't help but to notice how she licked her lips softly, leaving them glistening. All he wanted to do suck that bottom lip in his mouth and never give it back to her.

Britain nodded. She didn't really eat breakfast, but what the hell. At least she would get to see him again. She was disappointed when he said goodnight and cocked his head as he smiled before turning around. "Dave?" The look on his face when he turned around made her swallow hard. "You're not gonna kiss me?" Her voice bordered on sadness and questioning, with a definite hint of need mixed in. She wanted him to kiss her, but she couldn't do it first. Britain Weis didn't make the first move…ever.

Dave looked at her lips, then up to her eyes. He moved in closer to her and very softly he brushed his hand on the side of her face. He leaned in and could smell her breath…she must have popped an Altoid when he wasn't looking because it smelled extremely minty. He licked his lips slowly only to wet them for her and then with delicacy, he let his touch hers. The small whine she made when their lips met made him bring his other arm around her waist and pull her close to him. Her hand resting on his large chest and the other gently rubbing the back of his neck made him ache in his crotch. If he were any harder at that moment, he would have been able to cut glass. He knew she could feel it…people without hands could feel it. And then he felt her tongue…

_Oh my God he has his tongue pierced. How did I not notice that? Please…I can go back to being celibate tomorrow? …NO!_ She knew it was the smart choice but the rest of her body didn't care. He was hard against her stomach and she really wanted to feel more of it…all over her.

"You really should go in your room." He whispered to her with his forehead pressed up against hers. He couldn't open his eyes; if he looked at her that would have been all she wrote. He could feel her breath on his lips when she asked why. "Because I'm about to do something that we're both gonna regret."

"I don't have a lot of regrets." She whispered before kissing him again. _Are you crazy? NO SEX. _She pulled back from his lips slowly and tucked her bottom lip between her teeth. "Goodnight."

Dave nodded and blew out a steady stream of air. This woman, who he'd known for all of 4 hours, was incredible and all he did was kiss her. "I'll see you tomorrow." If their next date was anything like the first, he wasn't sure how much longer he could hold out. As he backed away from her slowly, he took in her smile. _She has the most beautiful smile._ "Goodnight."

He walked quickly to his rental praying that there wouldn't be many red lights on the way to his hotel. He needed to get back to his room and take a cold shower, ASAP.

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_A/N: Wow, thanks for all the feedback on the first chapter. I hope you'll continue to enjoy this story...it's fun. I have to say a few things first...I have posted the banner for this story on myspace (click on my profile and homepage to get to it, the click on pictures and it's the last one) I did it myself, it's very simple, I'm not as good as Rae's...but you get the point. _

_Also, while in the middle of working on the first chapter for Age Is Just a Number, I had a chat with Loosingmymind2 and she threw out some wonderful ideas to me, and I created this whole scene...anyway, I'm thinking about scrapping that story and combining it with a third installment of this series that will have all the characters back in it. The Maddy/Randy angle will still be there and I'll just combine their story with Alli and Jeff/Chase. I'm working on it...let me know what you think._

_Anyway, I've updated 3 stories today and I'm working on 2 more...I'm busy...I'm out! I love you guys! _

_xoxoxo_

_Shanny_


	3. Breakfast, Lunch and Dave

Breakfast, Lunch and Dave

Dave Batista was not the traditional ladies' man. He _was_ a ladies' man in the since that the ladies adored him, but he was never the womanizing type. Ever since he was 18 years old, he had always been in some kind of a relationship. He was married when he was 21 and divorced at 27, and then came a string of girlfriends. He married again at 33 and divorced at 34. Then there were 2 more girlfriends. The two auxiliary relationships both lasted well over 9 months, but like the others, they failed. He had taken the last 6 months off from dating seriously. Even though he was sleeping with women with no strings attached, he was still very much the gentlemen. He never promised things and he always politely thanked them for the night before he was out the door. He knew he didn't want to get involved with anyone; he because he was convinced that he had no idea what it took to make a relationship work.

He knew that the wanted to sleep with Britain, mainly because he wanted to feel if her skin was as soft as looked. He wanted to see her beautiful eyes clouded over with lust…he wanted to see her smile when she had an orgasm. Never once in the times that he thought about sleeping with her, did he ever consider that he wanted to get off.

What was even more confusing to him was the fact that in the two days he had known her, he hadn't made a move. That first day he met her, he had invited her out…_she _was the one the asked for a kiss. The next day, he spent the entire day with her. After breakfast they went for a drive down the coast, hung out at the beach, and had a wonderful dinner. But still, all he did was kiss her goodnight when he walked her to her door. It was driving him crazy. He wanted her, but why he hadn't taken her, was beyond him. It may have had something to do with the fact that he actually liked her.

He was impressed that they had so much in common. She had told him that she use to hang out with some guys from WCW back in the day, mainly Eddie, Rey and Jericho, but she hadn't talked to them in 5 years. She told him about how much of daddy's girl she was and he could relate because he had two daddy's girls of his own. She talked about her family with affection, just like he did his. Even though he loved his mom dearly, they weren't nearly as close as Britain and her family, but he felt that affection with his children. They also had their jobs in common. He traveled to a different town four days a week. She would be in a different country for weeks at a time. He couldn't help but to envy that she got to pick the jobs she wanted and when she got to decide when she wanted to work.

He would have never taken her for a runway model, not when she looked like she did. He told her that she should be on every magazine cover and was surprised when she laughed at him. She really didn't like print media…she hated posing for hours on end and she really hated that she was always half naked no matter what the ad was.

"_I hate the fact that they airbrush. I have curves… I like my curves. I'm usually between a 6 and a 8, which is big even for a runway model, but it's me and I'm not slimming down. I'm lucky because I usually work with the same designers and when they request me, they make clothes to fit my big hips and they taper the waist in. But print? I hate it." She played with the straw in her cup, never taking her eyes off of him. "It's like I can't figure out why I have to wear a thong to sell toothpaste. That's why I prefer runway. I get to be clothed in some of the most beautiful works of art on the planet, in some of the most beautiful places in the world. Even if the outfits are skimpy sometimes; like they may not have shirt at all, but it's not like I'm there being ogled, people are looking at the fashion…well most of the time. I get to walk down the runway and walk back…I get paid an insane amount of money and I get to keep my dignity." Even though she was talking about the down side of her job, she still had a smile on her face. "What about you? You like doing all this promo stuff?"_

_Dave laughed incredulously. "I fucking hate it. What the fuck does oiling me up and having me pose with babies or just the trunks on touching myself have to do with wrestling? It's a sport…granted what we do is choreographed, but still, it's about strength, not what I look like touching myself." He reached for a napkin and wiped his mouth. "And I hate it when the women whisper. I'm in the fucking room. Don't get me wrong, I spent years body building. I take pride in the way my body looks and I like that other people like it. But, if I wanted to be a model or do porn, I would have. You women are vicious…and they say guys have their minds in the gutter." He could listen to her laugh all day long._

"_Welcome to my world. I can't tell you how many times a day some guy tells me he wants to get me in bed or even worse, guys like that fucking prick Tyson…when I work with them, they think it's me giving them permission to put their hands all over me." She could tell by the look on his face that he didn't understand what he meant. "I like that guys find me attractive, it makes getting a date a whole lot easier. But sometimes, I would like to be considered more than just beautiful."_

_Dave didn't miss the hint of sadness in her voice when she said that. He felt guilty because he was thinking the same things that those other guys just came out and said or did. But he couldn't help it; she was an incredibly beautiful woman. . _

He dialed her number and continued to sing with the song playing in the car until she answered. The phone was already on the third ring, he knew she was still asleep.

"Hello." Britain answered the phone in a breathy voice. She couldn't open her eyes if she tried. _Somebody better be dead to call me this fucking early._

He laughed at her sleepy voice. "I'm hungry. Let's get breakfast."

"Do they even make breakfast this early? What time is it?" She was sure it was 3am. She felt like she had just gotten to sleep. _I hate morning people._

"It's 8:00, get up." He had gotten up to jog at 5:00, was at the gym by 6:30, showered and on his way to her hotel by 8:00. This was a routine, for years he had trained himself to get out of the bed and start his day. It was funny to him that she would sleep until noon if she could.

Britain put the pillow over her head to block out the sun. "Dave, nobody eats this early. You can't even chew this early." Even if she wanted to see him, 8:00 in the morning was ridiculous.

Another laugh came from him. "I'm hungry. I'm pulling into the parking lot of your hotel right now and I'm gonna knock on your door until you open it. So you might as well get up and get dressed so we can eat."

"What?" She whined. "You're here? Shit." All she wanted to do was sleep. "You're standing out in the hallway until 11." She closed her phone and felt herself drift back off. He couldn't have been serious. People didn't wake up at 8:00 in the morning when they were on vacation; it was against the law.

Dave knocked on her door exactly 3 minutes after she hung up on him. He couldn't stop smiling at how annoyed she was. _I bet she's really cute when she's pissed off._ But when she opened the door, he felt his mouth go dry. She was wearing a tank top and panties, her hair was in a fuzzy ponytail and her eyes were half closed. She had this pout on her lips and her brows were brought together in frustration. "Good morning." He handed her a rose and flashed his smile at her. Then he laughed out loud when she rolled her eyes and stomped like a child back to her bed.

"Goodnight." She flopped herself down across the bed. She didn't care if he was there; at least he wasn't knocking on the door anymore.

Dave shook his head. She was a mess, but she was real and he liked that. He also liked the fact that he could watch her while she was asleep. Even as she slept she was graceful, her breathing evened out and she made a soft purr like a kitten. She slept with one hand under her cheek and her legs drawn up to her chest. She looked angelic. With nothing else to do, he placed the rose in the vase with the other roses he had gotten her the day before, pulled out a Powerbar and sat couch to watch Sportcenter.

Britain felt something on her nose that was annoying her to no end. It started at the bridge and ran down to the tip and then back up. She swatted at it, she wiped her nose several times and finally after about the 5th time it happened she opened her eyes.

"It's 8:30. I'm starving. Please get up." His voice was soft as not to scare her when she awoke, but also because being that close to her was unnerving. He was lying in her bed, next to her.

Britain rolled over to her back and whined. "If I get up will you let me sleep?"

"No."

She huffed. "Fine. But I'm not talking to you until 11." With the pout still on her face, she got out of the bed and stomped into the bathroom.

Dave sat patiently on the bed waiting for her. He could resist smelling her pillow. It smelled like coconuts, like her hair and it was still warm from her face. He let his eyes drift to the bathroom door when she opened it. At first there was just a cloud of steam coming out from the shower, but then she appeared. She was wet, with a towel wrapped around her. Her wet hair was extremely wavy and clung to her shoulders. He watched as the droplets of water on the ends dripped down the towel and down her legs. _Oh my God._ He was sure he had died and gone to porno heaven. Looking at her like that, even though she was still pouting, was more erotic than anything any director could have come up with. He never took his eyes off of her as she made her way over to her suitcase and got her clothes. In all of 2 minutes, she rolled her eyes at him and stomped back in the bathroom and shut the door.

Britain dressed quietly, trying to convince her brain to wake up. She was too tired to try to be sexy for him. She put on yellow Capri pants and a white and yellow t-shirt that read: _Bad Kitty_ and she completed the outfit with white flip-flops. Instead of a ponytail holder, she used a yellow bandana to tie around her hair. _That's all he gets at 8:30 in the fucking morning._

"You look amazing." He smiled sincerely. She looked so cute to him. She matched his casual Yankees jersey and Khaki shorts, exceptionally well. It was refreshing not to have to put on airs to be with her. He had dated enough women to know that sometimes they expected him to look a certain way, Britain didn't seem to care. "Can we find food now?"

As she put on her watch she pointed to it, then pointed to him and placed her finger to her lips. "You can't talk to me for another two hours." The constant whine in her voice made him laugh at her. "Shut up."

Dave walked over to her and took her by the hand, grabbed his baseball cap and led her out the door. He was on a mission for food and not even her pouting was going to stop that.

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They had an amazing day…once she finally woke up. Britain found the one thing about him that was most attractive was the fact that he was interesting. He wasn't braggy or constantly talking about how many women he pulled a night. He laughed a lot too, something that she found endearing. The guys she usually dated were conceited and too damn serious. She was a fun person, who liked to be silly. Looking at her, one wouldn't know that. She looked unapproachable, but she was the most down to earth person that he had ever met.

"I'm not shopping with you, so just forget it." He said grabbing her hand to usher across the street. She seemed completely oblivious to the traffic because a hat in a store window caught her eye. "So what are we doing tonight?"

Britain's face broke down. "I can't go out with you tonight. I'm supposed to go out with my friend." She had planned this weeks ago. She was getting together with her best friend; she hadn't planned on meeting a guy. There was a rule with them, no men before them. It was that simple.

Dave nodded. It was selfish of him to think he could monopolize all of her time just because _he_ was on vacation. But there was still a part of him that wanted her all to himself. "Ok."

"You could come?" She was trying to think of how that would go over with her best friend, Christina.

Dave shook his head. "I don't want to impose. It's a girl's night out." He had been dragged out to a girl's night out before, and he did NOT want to do that again.

"It wouldn't be imposing. It's a club…there are a lot of guys there." She turned around to him and smiled. "Please? Say you'll come."

He would do anything to see that smile. "I don't dance."

"So. I'll dance for you." She giggled and jumped up and down clapping her hands when he agreed. Now she had to figure out to explain that to her best friend.

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Xaviera Christina Perez was like no other woman Britain had ever met. They had been best friends since she was 14. When Britain's family relocated to San Diego, she found herself for the first time in a heavily Latino populated area. Her first day of high school, she found that she was the cause of constant taunts from the kids at school. They called her a guerra, a white girl, all because her father took her to school on the first day. Britain could still remember crying in the girl's bathroom, when this little blonde came in and talked to her. Christina was already a junior and judging from how the teasing stopped when people found out that Britain was her friend, she ran that school. From that day on, the two had been inseparable.

"So, you invited a fucking guy to girl's night? I can't believe you." X said as she tossed her shot back without flinching. She pounded on the bar for another. "He better have a big dick and some friends."

Britain laughed and pushed her best friend. "I haven't slept with him yet."

"Why not? Jesus, don't tell me you're catching feelings. Didn't we discuss this already? No getting a-dick-ed. Hit and split, there's no reason to get to know them." She took her second shot and held the glass to her mouth. "I thought you were done with those muscle bound wrestling types."

Britain shrugged. Her last relationship with a guy in Dave's industry was messy. She didn't want to date those kinds of guys anymore. The kinds that got off on adrenaline and steroids…they weren't nice guys. "But he's so sweet. I don't know, I've known him for two days and all he's done is kissed me goodnight."

"Is he gay? Cause I've been trying to fuck you since we were teenagers." X laughed when Britain blew a kiss at her.

Why wasn't Dave interested in her? She could tell he was when they kissed because the bulge in his pants indicated so, but besides being that close to her, he didn't seem the least bit pressed. "I keep waiting, but this is getting ridiculous. I'm 25 years old, I have needs."

"So why don't you make a move? I'm gonna make you pimp if it kills me." X grabbed Britain's hand and led her to the dance floor. She missed having her best friend around. When they were together, they didn't need guys, they entertained themselves.

As soon as Dave stepped in the club, all the women turned toward him. He looked like a walking orgasm. Decked out in black slacks, a tight white Lyrca shirt and those Dolce glasses; Dave looked like sex. He felt eyes on him and even smiled at a few women as he made his way in the obnoxiously loud club, but he was searching for one woman in particular. He scanned the dance floor and smiled. There she was wearing low rise jeans and an open back shirt. She was dancing on the top of a table, with a short blonde. She looked like poetry in motion.

Britain danced with X paying with no attention to anything but the music and suddenly X's words made her look up. "God, look at him."

Britain turned to where X was pointing and she felt her breath catch. _Damn he looks good. _"Oh my God, he came."

"That's him? He's huge." X turned around to look at Britain. "And you haven't fucked him yet? Are _you _gay?"

Dave smiled when Britain noticed him and slowly he made his way over to where she was. He stood in front of the table and looked up at her. "Was the dance floor too crowded?"

"You coming up here to dance with me?" She laughed when he declined. Britain reached out for him to help her off of the table. She loved the fact that he used little to no effort when he picked her up. "I can't believe you actually came."

"I told you I would." He held her close to him for a moment before setting her down. His hands just like the way her naked back felt.

"This is my best friend X." Britain pointed to the blonde still standing on the table. "X this is Dave."

"Nice to meet you." Christina said as she stepped down onto a chair. She was so small compared to Britain. Christina was barely 5'2 while Britain was 5'8 and Dave towered over them both. "Él va a rasgarte para arriba. Deseo los detalles." _He's gonna tear you up. I want details._

Dave watched as Britain smacked X on the butt and then the smaller woman walked away. "What was that about?"

"Nothing, she retarded." Britain led him by the hand over to the bar. "What ya drinking?"

"Malibu and diet coke."

Britain couldn't help but to laugh as she ordered his drink and Tequila for herself. "So I know you said you don't dance, but you're going to."

Dave laughed as he sipped his drink. "I don't dance. I'm too big to dance."

"Bullshit."

"Besides, you said that you were going to dance for _me._ I came here to collect on that." There was a playful smirk on his face and his eyes hinted trouble. He leaned up against the bar and watched as Britain dragged X over to him. She moved with ease, letting the smaller woman grind into her. He could almost imagine what she would be like in bed, the way her hips rolled around and how she arched her back as she moved to the music. He had to sit his drink down to keep from crushing the glass in his hand. When he watched how she pulled X by the hair and how she looked whispering into her ear, never taking her eyes off of him. He almost lost it. Suddenly that club was getting really hot and he could feel the sweat starting on his brow. _What the fuck am I waiting for?_

Britain kissed X on the cheek and watched her walk away. "So you ready to go?"

Dave swallowed trying to wet his dry throat. "I just got here."

"Yeah well X found some guy to hook up with and since _you_ won't dance with me, there's really no reason to stay." X was right, she needed to make the first move if anything between them was going to happen. And the way he was dressed, something was going to happen tonight, even if she had to take him by force.

Dave and Britain walked to his rental holding hands, but not saying anything. But they were both thinking the same thing, but not sure how to tell the other what they wanted. When they reached the truck, Dave reached around her to open the door. "Where do you wanna go now?" He asked close to ear, feeling her hair brush against his cheek.

Britain turned slowly and looked him the eye. "Back to your hotel room."

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_A/N: I'm in a really crappy mood today and I hate this chapter, but something had to move the story to what's to come. Originally it was 16 pages long, so I decided to just make 2 chapters. And I was asked by nychick4 who the model was in the banner for this story. It's Helena Christensen. She's the closest to my vision of Britain. Helena is a Dutch model who is 1/2 Dutch, 1/2 Peruvian...her heritage is close to that of this character and I think she's hot (she's the same model in the Maintaining Perfection banner as well). Anyway, I'm glad that some of you have checked out the banner. I played around with a few of them, but I liked the simple one with just the two characters the best. If you get a chance check it out...and leave a comment. I need to know if I should quit my day job as a artist or not. :-) _

_I promise the next chapter will be better, it's actually got some action in it. I'll probably end up reposting this because I'll find some typos. I'm looking for someone to edit for me, if you're interested email me...I'm serious._

_Go Patriots!_

_Shanny_


	4. Breakfast, Lunch and Dave, pt 2

_A/N 1: I am in no way promoting or advocating unprotected sex. If you get that from this chapter, it was not my intention. _

_**This chapter contains sexual content.**_

Breakfast, Lunch & Dave, pt. 2

The drive back to Dave's hotel was a quiet one. Both Dave and Britain sat silently talking to themselves about what they hoped and expected for the night, but neither had anything to say to the other. The closest they got to talking were the quick glances he would try to steal and the incredible blush on her cheeks when she caught him looking.

"So uh, would you like a drink?" He asked after they entered his room. He didn't want it to seem like he just wanted to rip her clothes off; even if the thought had crossed his mind.

"Sure. Can you make a screwdriver?" She watched as he made his way over to the mini-bar and started fumbling around for the vodka and orange juice. While she was watching him, she heard her cell phone ring. She recognized X's number immediately. "What?"

"Are you doing _it_ yet?" X's drunken laughter was loud through her phone.

Britain looked over her shoulder to see that Dave was still at the mini-bar. She turned her body away from him and lowered her voice. "No."

"What are you waiting for?"

She kept her voice to whisper, but made sure it was loud enough to be heard over the phone. "I thought since I suggested we come back to his hotel, he would try something… but he hasn't made a move." She looked over her shoulder again, to see him pull out a bottle of Malibu. _What man drinks fucking Malibu? _

X on the other hand had enough of this shit. "Come on, I'm living vicariously through you. I'm not getting any tonight so you have to. _You_ make a move."

"I can't." She whispered loudly. "I don't want him to think that I'm easy."

X laughed again. "You _are_ easy."

"_I_ know that, but I don't want _him_ to think that." She turned again and noticed this time that Dave quickly turned around as if he was looking for something.

"Just do what you do and you'll be fine."

If X was there, Britain would have punched her. "I can do what I do _after_ I've done it. You know you can't pull out all the stops the first time…"

X sighed. "Yeah, the freak factor…"A groan of frustration was felt through the phone. "I don't know what to tell ya, chica. If it were me, I'd be fucking him. Call me tomorrow; I want a blow by blow…no pun intended." Britain was then graced with silence when she closed her phone.

Dave stood behind the couch trying to control his laughter. If she didn't want him to know what she was talking about she should have said it in Spanish. "Was that your friend?" He asked with a big smile as he rounded the couch.

Britain jumped nervously and nodded. _Shit, please tell me he didn't hear that._ "She's drunk." She felt the couch cushion dip under his weight and she accepted the glass from him. Taking a nervous sip, she smiled.

He couldn't have smiled sexier if he tried. The words dripped off his lips as he devilishly let his tongue touch the corner of his mouth. "So why would I think you were easy?" He couldn't resist embarrassing her. He loved the way her neck and cheeks looked when she blushed.

_Shit…he heard me…shit, shit, shit._ "I don't know. I did suggest we come back here…"

"And that makes you easy?" He sat his glass down and turned toward her. "I meet women everyday that literally hand me their underwear…_that's _easy. But if you meet someone and you make an attempt to get to know them, even if it hasn't been that long…that's called chemistry."

_I love the way your lips move. _"Well what's wrong? I'm cute, right?"

_You are so beyond cute._ Dave nodded. "You're beautiful."

"So why haven't you tried anything?" _Please don't let me sound desperate._

If anything was going to happen between them, he wanted to be honest. "Look Britain, I haven't had to actively pursue a woman in 18 years…I'm out of practice. I'm use to women approaching me and telling me what they want." He thought about how he should say it without sounding like a conceited asshole. "I kinda liked the fact that I was the aggressor. But if you're not comfortable with the pace I'm going…"

"It's not that. I'm just not use to guys taking the time to get to know me." She placed her drink next to his. "I don't make the first move; I'm not built like that. We can take this as slow as you want."

Dave nodded and the two of them sat there in silence for about 35 seconds before he leaned over and kissed her softly. _The hell with this, I'm making my move. _He could kiss her lips forever. He was amazed that could get _that_ hard by just kissing a woman. Every man gets some excitability from a kiss, but what Britain was doing to him was beyond scientific explanation.

The way he caressed her back made her want to rip those clothes off of his body. "Do you have condoms?" She whispered into his mouth. She may not have the most virtuous woman, but she was always careful.

"No." He whispered back, now moving his mouth down to her neck. "Are you on something?"

Her breathing was heavy when she spoke. "Yes."

If only pregnancy was the only thing they had to worry about. She didn't know him that well and judging from how good of a kisser he was; he probably got laid…a lot. And she knew that she had been sleeping around much more than usual. In all truthfulness, she was just as unsafe to him as he was to her.

_Why didn't you think about this before, asshole? _Dave reluctantly stopped kissing her. He rested his head against hers and let out a frustrated breath. "Maybe we should wait, until I'm better prepared." When he booked this vacation, he had no intentions of hooking up with anyone. This was to be 10 days to reacquaint himself with the man he once was. It was to involve a lot of sleeping, some good meals, a Lakers game, a spa day and site seeing. Nowhere in his itinerary was he supposed to meet _her._

Britain looked at his face, studying every line. "It would be really stupid not to use protection." Did he have to lick his lips? Did he have to still be running his fingers up and down her spine? Her brain went into overtime, justifying all the reasons why they shouldn't wait. _He wrestles…the company wouldn't let him go in the ring if he had HIV or Hepatitis…those are blood born diseases. He probably has to get tested all the time. Anything else, there's a shot for…but what about Herpes? That's the gift that keeps on giving. Shit! _Damn his brown eyes; they sent reason right out the window. Britain leaned in and kissed him again, slowly moving her hand down his chest and bringing his shirt up with it.

Dave could hardly stop his hips from bucking when he felt her warm mouth touch his chest. He reached around to her back and untied her shirt, leaving the garment lying on him when she sat up. Her breasts were perfect. He was surprised that they were real. He hadn't met many women, his second wife included that didn't have implants. He missed the way natural breasts felt, they were softer and suppler. He watched as her eyes closed, with each sweep over the soft flesh his hand made. He wanted her…the hell with the consequences. "Are you sure?" He whispered. He knew that in a few minutes he would be too far gone to stop, if she decided that she would rather wait for him to have condoms.

Britain didn't answer; instead she stood up and unbuttoned her pants. She watched him watch her as they fell to the floor. Then she reached out her hand to him and led him to the bedroom.

Dave couldn't take his eyes off of the yellow thong that she was wearing. He had no idea who created the thong, but if he ever met that person he wanted to shake their hand. Her body was incredible. Even with her hair blocking most of his view, he could still make out her incredibly small waist and her round hips and then that ass; followed by those legs…her thighs alone made his mouth water and even lower her thick calves. He touched her hair and slowly removed the band she had keeping her ponytail in place. He wanted to run his fingers through those raven waves and he found himself bringing a handful of her hair up to nose. He had never appreciated how sweet coconuts smelled before he smelled Britain's hair.

She turned around and looked at him. His chest alone was enough to make her have an orgasm. She was sure that she could not touch it enough. She loved the deep cuts between the muscles and that six pack…make that a twelve pack. She closed her eyes when he kissed her again and allowed him to lay her on the bed. She watched him as he walked around to the foot of the bed. She couldn't wait to get a chance to lick every stitch of ink of that dragon on his back.

"I like these." He said running his hand up her legs and settling them on her underwear. He wanted to touch the lace and his fingertips gently ran across the fabric closest to her pelvis. He laid on her, letting his face feel the warmth of her body. He would never get tired of her breasts. He scooted lower, allowing his mouth to travel over her flat stomach; he had always found belly bracelets extremely sexy and Britain's was no different. He could feel her hips move slightly as her fingers found their way in his hair. She had the softest touch, gently scratching his scalp with her well manicured nails. He moved lower still, kissing her through her underwear and looked up at her when she spoke.

"Dave, don't." She didn't want him not to, but she had to let it be known.

"Why?"

"Because I won't do it to you." There were certain things she didn't do; giving head was one of them. She hadn't done in years and she wasn't about to start with this guy, no matter how much she liked him.

"I wouldn't ask you to." He could feel the heat from her thighs on his cheeks as he started to bite her softly through her panties. This teasing was torturing him more than it was her. He lifted her hips and slid the fabric off of her, revealing the most neatly groomed landing strip he had seen in a long time. "You are beautiful." Dave stood up and removed his pants, still allowing his eyes the privilege of looking at her.

"You _are _a big boy." She wasn't sure why she said that, but that whole myth about muscular guys having small packages was not true in this case. _I was hoping it would be small, so I would have a reason not to like you. _She felt him pull her by the legs, so that she they hung down over the bed and watched as he knelt down on the floor in front of her. What started as deep breathing from her, quickly turned into soft whimpers. He was amazing, he seemed to know just how and where to touch her.

"Tell me how you want it." His whisper sent a chill up her spine. For him not to be aggressive in pursuing women, did _not _mean he wasn't aggressive in bed. He knew what he liked and what he liked to do, he knew how to drive a woman absolutely crazy and he was planning on doing just that.

With a small smile she looked down at him. "Slow."

He was more than happy to oblige. She was exquisite, even more beautiful then he imagined. She was neither a giggler nor a screamer, but a soft whimperer. She rolled her hips with precision, desperately searching for what she was looking for. "Tell me what you want."

Britain didn't do dirty talk, usually guys were too busy getting off to really care what she wanted. And she wasn't picky, she liked it all kinds of ways. Soft and gentle, hard and rough, she liked to be tied up, and spanked occasionally; she even liked hardcore gutter-butt straight nasty sex. But at that moment, she couldn't say anything. Her mouth could not produce anything but a whimper.

Dave stopped his advance and looked at her. "Tell me what you want." His voice was a soft whisper sending his warm breath across her already heated body.

"You know what I want." She answered back with a whine.

"I want you to tell me." He started again, just because he liked watching her squirm. And when he heard her whimpering get to a higher pitch, he stopped again to ask her. "Tell me what you want."

"If you stop again, I swear I'm going to smother you with my thighs." She smiled trying to catch her breath.

"Then we're gonna be here all night."

That didn't sound so bad to her. But something in her needed to release. "I wanna cum."

He smiled and slowly aided her with the use of his fingers. He noticed that when he made certain movements with his mouth she would draw her brows together and get an intense look on her face. And when he changed to using long strokes all over her, her face would settle into a satisfied smile. "You are so sweet." He whispered to her just before he felt the one hand in his hair tighten and her other hand which was around his wrist open and close over it.

"Shit…" She breathed heavily and her hips started to rise up from the bed. "Shit…Dave." That was the last thing she was able to say before everything in her body shut down and was replace by an electrical current that could have shorted out all of Los Angeles.

Dave didn't stop, he didn't want to. He wanted to see that look on her face again. But her tugging on him forced him move and lay his body on hers. Her face was beautiful. There was a slight pink tent to her flushed cheeks and her eyes were blue, more so than he had ever seen before.

"I want to see how sweet I taste." She whispered softly before extending her tongue and running it over his lips. She never minded tasting herself when she kissed a man; it actually turned her on. She had a lot of fetishes, not that he would know about them…yet.

If Dave was turned on by her before, it was minimal compared to now. Just feeling her tongue run over his lips was enough to make him slowly sink into her. He couldn't move right away because if he did he would have ended. The sound she made when he was fully sheathed made him consider pulling out. "Are you ok?" Although his voice was a whisper, she could hear the concern in it.

She nodded. She couldn't remember a man actually making her suck in her breath in a long time. She kissed him and started slowly moving her hips, alerting him that she wanted more.

Dave took the hint and started to move in her slowly at first, but then the overwhelming urge to go deeper took over. He pulled her arms above her head and held them there as he continued to increase his rhythm. She was amazing. He had never been a vocal lover before, but he found himself moaning softly along with her. "You're so tight." He left her hands above her head and he took her legs placing them on his shoulders. He couldn't resist running his tongue along her calves; they demanded that he give them equal attention.

She moved with him, enjoying everything about being with him. Although she made it a point to hold back, she couldn't deny that he was amazing. She and X had another rule, never go all out on the first time. If you pull out everything in the arsenal, men label you a freak. True freakiness was revealed slowly over other encounters; if the guy was that lucky. But even holding back, Britain couldn't contain it anymore; she brought her hands to his face and lifted his head so that he looked at her eyes.

It was in that moment, she knew this was a mistake. The look on his face made her hope that he would be _more _than a one night stand. _No, that's all this is… one amazing night. _This wasn't in the plan; she didn't want to get involved with anyone else. All men were the same; they all filled her head and heart with empty promises, saying whatever they could to get her in bed. And once she gave in and allowed them into her heart, they always hurt her. No, this was the last time she was going to see him, it had been a great two days, but this was not happening again. But as soon as she felt his lips on hers she felt her body giving over to him. Her hands make squeezing motions against his wrists as she desperately sucked on his bottom lip. She actually heard herself call out his name when she ended.

He was sure that was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. The way her hair clung to her face, the small smile on her lips, her beautiful eyes hazy…her body stiffen and then the way her muscles looked when they were relaxed; if that wasn't enough to make him end, he didn't know what was. But unlike Britain's rule to not put on her best performance, Dave _always_ went above and beyond. He bit back the feeling to give himself over. He repositioned her body, so that she was lying on her side and he knelt on the bed. He had the perfect view of her sharp contrast between her waist and her hips; he couldn't stop himself from squeezing her round backside…everything about this woman was amazing. He watched her body as he continued to move, noticing how she stiffened under him again and feeling her hands squeeze him, he knew he had done it to her again. He had accomplished #3. With her third orgasm safely behind them, he let himself give into his. "I'm gonna..." He tried to warn her, but before he could get the rest of the sentence out, he pulled out and let himself go on her body. _Shit…_

At that moment she was sure that he was just like everyone else. It was fucking humiliating. She laid there silently trying to collect her thoughts, when she felt him leave the bed. _I don't believe he did that._ It's not like she really minded, but at least he could have warned her or asked her or something. That kind of thing was alright with her if she really knew or liked the guy, but not on the first time. She closed her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose, but then opened them when she felt something warm and wet touch her skin.

Dave sat beside her on the bed feeling like an asshole. He was sure he had just ruined an amazing evening. _I hope she's not mad._ "I'm so sorry. I guess I got a little carried away." He gently wiped her skin with a warm cloth, trying to find the words to apologize.

_I can't figure him out._ _Nobody's ever cared before._ "Don't be. That was…"

"Incredible." He laid down next to her and pulled her into his arms. Her body was so warm and felt natural against his. He listened to her breathing that soon turned into the soft purr and then he felt himself drift off with a smile on his face.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Britain's eyes opened and she tried to make out where she was. She looked over at Dave sleeping and shook her head. _What the fuck are you doing?_ She tried to lift his arm off of her, but couldn't. Instead, she slid out from under it trying to be as quiet as she could.

"What's wrong?" Dave's voice was thick with sleep and his eyes remained closed.

"Nothing." She whispered looking around the room for her underwear.

Dave shifted on the bed, feeling that she was no longer lying beside him. "Where are you going?"

"Back to my hotel. I need to take a shower and get some sleep." She tried to scoot off the bed, but felt his strong arm come around her waist.

He was too tired to make sense of what she was saying, but all he knew was he didn't want her to go. "Why can't you stay here?" He opened his eyes and looked at her confused.

She laughed quietly. "Look Dave…you're a really nice guy, but I don't stay the night. We both got what we wanted, so you don't have to be nice to me anymore. Why don't we just say goodbye now… that way when I think about you, I'll only have good memories."

_Did I miss something?_ "Did I do something wrong?" He had _never _had a woman walk out on him. If anything, he usually had to politely escort them out. She shook her head. "Then I don't understand."

"I need to leave." They had a good time, the charade was over. There was no way in hell he was really as decent as he seemed.

The look on her face said that she was really thought that's what he wanted. "I want you to stay." She was still looking around the room for her things. He sat up and turned her face toward him. "I want to have breakfast with you in the morning and why drive all the way over to your hotel, when you're already here?"

_Breakfast, is he serious? He still wants to see me?_ "Why?"

"Because I thought if we were going to spend tomorrow together, we should at least have breakfast first." He smiled at her. "I was hoping that after breakfast, we'd do whatever it is you wanna do. Then I'd take you to dinner and maybe we could come back here and do what we did earlier." He rested his chin on her shoulder. "Then when we wake up the next morning we can do it all over again." It was at that moment that he realized that he didn't want to spend the rest of his vacation alone. He _liked_ the idea of spending the rest of his time in California with her. If nothing else, it would give him a vacation to remember.

She smirked and shook her head. _What have I gotten myself into?_ "You're serious?"

Dave nodded and kissed her softly. "Now can we go back to sleep? I'm tired."

"You didn't care when I was tired this morning."

"I wasn't sleepy then."

"Well _I'm_ not sleepy now..." She leaned over and kissed him, using all of her weight to push him back on the bed. She let her hand trail under the covers. "Apparently, neither are you."

_A/N 2: And I'm glad you guys liked the last chapter, I hated it. NO matter. Nertina-Shanf...I love your reviews. You always read more than what's on the page, and you're not afraid to tell me that don't care if I didn't like the chapter. Sometimes I need the swift kick in the pants. Thanx for the reality check. And Sarahblue123, if you want the job...it's yours!_

_Shanny_


	5. The Morning After

The Morning After

Dave Batista was not a sentimental man, but he couldn't help but to think that he hadn't slept that good in years. He looked over to his left and knew instantly it was because of the woman that lay next to him. Her body was so warm and it fit so nicely up against his. He hadn't had a woman stay the night with him in months. There was always a reason why she had to go, whether it was an early morning flight, or his daughters were home…he hadn't shared his bed for more than sex in ages. But it felt right to have Britain there.

He gently moved a strand of black hair from her face, admiring how peaceful she looked. He couldn't help but to smile at the way she slept with her leg across his and one arm draped across his body. He allowed his hand to run over her hip and watched as she slowly rolled over.

He felt good and not only because he finally got her in bed. He felt good because he hadn't lost it…whatever it was about him that made him attractive to women, it was still alive and kicking. Britain was different; she didn't throw herself at him, even if she wanted the same thing from him that he did from her. He liked the fact that every time they were alone, she wasn't trying to get in his pants or his wallet. She genuinely seemed to have fun with him. He couldn't remember laughing so much with anyone, his boys included. And the fact that she was 11 years his junior made it that much sweeter. She was young, impressionable, and hot as hell. The idea that this pretty, young thing was interested in him boosted his ego to new heights. Now, he had to find a way to keep her interested, at least until his vacation was over. She seemed so intent on running, that he worried how hard it would be to make her stay.

Britain felt a tickle on her nose. She slowly opened her eyes only to see the warm brown of Dave's eyes and his perfectly white teeth smiling at her. "It better be after 11." Her voice was low and dragging as she fought not to go back to sleep. His affinity with waking up at the butt crack of dawn was annoying her. She hated mornings, plain and simple.

Dave leaned over and kissed her pouting lips. "I'm hungry." He whispered. "You want some breakfast?"

Britain stretched causing the sheet that was covering her to drift down below her breasts. She had never been embarrassed by her body, so she did not bother to cover herself back up. She nodded to his question. "You're always hungry."

"I'm a big guy…I need food." He reached over and grabbed the phone. "What do you want?"

_Who thinks about food first thing in the morning?_ Britain was always the type to wake up and lay in the bed for a good 30 minutes, just to get herself together. She normally didn't eat until it way after lunch time, most days. "Um…French toast and hot chocolate and apple juice." Hoping that he was satisfied that she would eat with him, she let her eyes close again.

"This is room 312, we need to order breakfast…French toast, hot chocolate, apple juice, 2 eggs – Sunnyside up, toast, half a cantaloupe, a pound of strawberries, short stack of pancakes, 3 pieces of bacon – crispy, two sausage links, a bowl of bran flakes and orange juice…yes…thanks." He looked over at Britain who was eyeing him cautiously. "What?"

She had never met someone who needed that much to eat, ever. "Are you inviting people over?"

He shook his head and laughed. "I'm a 325 pound man. I eat a lot."

She bit her lip unable to resist the multiple meanings of that statement. "Yes you do."

He leaned over and pressed his lips against hers. "I don't remember hearing you complain about that."

"No complaints here…" She couldn't finish her words because his tongue and that fucking tongue ring managed to find themselves in her mouth. It was something about the way that he kissed. He wasn't one of those shove his tongue down her throat types, nor was he a stingy kisser. He just knew what he was doing. His lips alone were enough to make her forget that their food would soon be on the way and that she was still in his hotel room.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Dave flexed his muscles at the room service delivery guy. He had already given the guy a tip, there was no reason for him to still be lingering around the room. He followed the guy's eyes as they landed on Britain who was laying the bed checking her voicemail. Although she was covered, Dave instantly felt the need to protect her from this man's prying eyes. "Did you need something?" The accusatory sound in his voice was harsh. He knew he was an intimidating man and unclothed except for the towel he was wearing, the delivery boy saw exactly how intimidating he was.

"No sir." The young man tipped his hat and made his way out the door. "Have a nice day."

Britain closed her phone and smiled at Dave. "Do you always flex up when you're mad?"

"I'm not mad. I just didn't appreciate the way he was looking at you." Was he jealous? He didn't know her, not like that. He had no reason to be jealous. They were just friends, if you could even call them that. He didn't want to get into that conversation or admit that he _was_ feeling a little jealous. "Are you gonna get out of bed, so we can eat?"

Britain sat up, holding the sheet against her. "Where are my clothes?" She looked around the room and noticed that her things weren't where she had left them, or he had thrown them the night before.

"I took them." He nonchalantly walked around to the cart and started to remove the lids from the plates. He turned back to her to see the surprised look on her face and he couldn't stop smiling. "You don't need them anyway."

"How am I supposed to eat breakfast without clothes?"

"It's naked breakfast. You can't wear clothes."

She laughed and scratched her head. What kind of kinky breakfast game was he playing? "What the hell is naked breakfast?"

"You never heard of naked breakfast? And you claim to be well traveled. Naked breakfast is when you have breakfast but you don't wear anything to the table." He had a straight face as he lied to her. "It's a tradition."

"Where?"

His brain worked fast. Even he was surprised at how quick he was at lying…he must've gotten that from his daughter, Madison. "In Greece."

Britain gave him a look. "Bullshit. I've been to Greece a number of times and I've never heard of naked breakfast."

"Well you haven't been to the right part."

"You lie…"

"So?" He stood by the cart and took off his towel, flinging it across the room toward the bathroom. "Are you going to join me, or are you afraid?" He purposely made it sound like a challenge. She didn't look like the type that would ever back down from a challenge. He sat down at the table, placing the napkin in his lap. He acted like this was the most natural thing in the world to do.

Britain thought about it for a moment, then she pulled the sheet from around her body and stood up. If he was going to do 'naked breakfast' and she was his guest, she had no choice but to comply. Besides, he had hidden her clothes, so she really didn't have much choice.

She walked over to the table looking at all the food he had ordered. It was enough to feed at least four people. She smiled at the way he carefully arranged everything that was for him in front of his place setting. He had made sure that everything was within arms reach, but she was equally surprised that he didn't start eating until she sat down with him.

Dave started to eat, motioning for her to do the same. He tried to convince her to indulge in some of his troth of food, to which she declined. He noticed quiet she was and he wondered if she was now regretting sleeping with him. More than that, he was wondering if she regretted staying the night. "So what this morning about?" His voice was low and non-threatening. He wanted her to feel comfortable enough to tell him what was going on.

She shrugged. "It was what it was." She made sure to look at her plate so she wouldn't have to look in his eyes. "I have rules…and I hate breaking them."

He wanted to know everything about her. "Tell me about them." He lowered his head to meet her gaze. She was trying to avoid him and it was really cute.

"Why?"

"Because I don't want to break any." He meant that. He didn't want her to do anything she didn't want to do.

She couldn't help but to laugh. "You already have." Why did let herself get swept up with this guy? For years, she had been working on following the rules, but one look in those brown eyes and all the rules went away. "You're serious?" He nodded. "Well first, I'm always careful. I don't have unprotected sex."

"If it makes you feel any better, I'm clean. I get tested every two months at work."

"I am too. I know it was just as much a gamble for you as it was for me. I get the shot for birth control, every three months; I've been on it for about 4 years, so you don't have to worry about me getting pregnant." She was glad that they finally got that out of the way. If she hadn't been in a lust educed coma the night before they would have discussed their statuses _before _they did anything.

"What else?"

"I never invite a guy to my hotel room or to my house."

"Why?"

How does one put this in words without sounding pathetic? She thought about it for a second then she told him. "I just don't. I always go back to his place. It's just easier for me to leave, then to have him walk out on me." The sadness in her voice was unmistakable. She had lost track of how many guys, nut and jump up to find their clothes. Then there were others that she couldn't get rid of. At least this way, she could sneak out in the middle of the night and never have to talk to the guy again. "I don't stay the night, because it's just better to leave when it's over. I hate that uncomfortable morning brush off."

"You've had a lot of bad relationships, huh?" He wasn't criticizing, he just making an observation.

"I don't do relationships; that's another rule. They always end badly." She played around the food on her plate, all the while noticing how much of an interest he had in everything she said. She could tell by the look on his face that he was trying to figure her out. "Let's see…I don't go all out the first time I'm with a guy."

"Yeah, I heard a little of that when you were on the phone. What's that about?"

"Guys think that if you really like sex, you're a freak. So they take it that they can do whatever they want. If I really got comfortable and didn't hold back, I can't even tell you how much of freak you'd probably think I am." She smiled at his laugh. She knew he wanted to find out what she was referring to. "I don't give head…"

He wasn't going to bring that up, but he was dying to know why. "Why?" The look she gave him said _what do you mean why_, so he figured he'd better explain. "I mean, it's not a problem, but I'm just curious."

"Guys forget their manners. They pull your hair, they try to choke you…not everyone is Linda Lovelace, ya know. I have a gag reflex…I'm not trying to clean my tonsils." She couldn't help but to laugh at him trying to hold his in. "And I hate to be watched. It's hard enough to do it without choking, but then every time you look up at them, their fucking eyes are pinned on you…it fucking makes me crazy. It's like, we both know what I'm doing to you, do you really need to look to make sure? But the worst are those pricks that don't warn you when they're about to…you get the point. Spit or swallow…whatever, just let me fucking know first." She was becoming more animated when talking about it. She was surprised how easy it was to talk to him. This was not unlike a conversation she had with X a few years ago, when the two were drinking and talking about their sex lives. "I stopped doing it years ago. You don't know who you can trust. Not everybody's worthy."

He understood completely. He wouldn't go down on the ring rats he met. That was something he only did when he wanted to do it. It was never for any other gain, but to please his partner. "You have a lot of rules."

"I'm not finished." She reached across his plate and grabbed his cantaloupe. She bit it and laughed at the pout he made because she ate his fruit. "I don't do back door."

At that Dave dropped his fork and folded his arms across his chest in disbelief. "Why not…it's amazing."

"Well you let me do it to you and tell me how fucking amazing it is." She raised her brow in challenge. "I've never done it and that's not to say that I never will, but I don't see what I'd get out of it. I'm so far past doing things that I don't get anything out of anymore…like titty fucking…that shit's fucking stupid."

Dave was sure he was going to choke off of his orange juice. He could feel the juice coming out of his nose as he spit it out across his plate and laughed. "Oh my God. I had no idea that women felt so strongly about certain things." He wiped his mouth and his nose and continued to laugh at her. "Is there anything else?"

"I don't fall in love. That's about it. Anything else, I'm game." She placed her napkin down on the table and looked around the room. "Seriously, where'd you put my clothes? I need to get dressed so I can go back to my room and change."

Dave shook his head. He didn't want to chance giving her back her things, because he knew she would leave and he would never see her again. "I'll give you back your stuff _and _even take you to your hotel, on one condition."

She didn't like conditions…Britain Weis didn't do conditions. "And what's that?" She was waiting for him to ask her to do something outlandish, but was surprised at his request.

"If you get all your stuff and bring it back here." He had never been more serious in all the time that he known her. "I'm only here for 7 more days and I would really like to spend it with you. I don't trust that you won't run, so…if you agree to stay with me while I'm here, I'll give you back your clothes." He could watch her bite her lip all day long.

_Don't do this. You're gonna get all wrapped up in him and in 7 days he's gonna be gone._ But it was only a week; surely she could hold herself back from getting attached to him in a week. "And if I decline?"

"I'll give you back your clothes but I'll pout and I'll stomp around, like you do in the morning. And then I'll start knocking on your hotel door at 7:00 every morning and I'll knock until you let me in. And in between knocking, I'll call your cell phone. You won't get to sleep in for another week."

"You seriously want me to stay with you? Are you like a stalker or something?"

He laughed deeply, the sound coming from somewhere deep in his stomach. "A stalker? No. Extremely interested in you? Yes."

She looked at those brown eyes and felt herself giving in. She nodded in agreement before she even had a chance to think it over. She would be lying if she said that she didn't want to see more of him while he was there. But 7 more days of being with him, hanging out, being silly, and having amazing sex… was too good to be true. _Now I know I'm in trouble._


	6. An Affair to Remember

_A/N 1: I have put the song, Feeling Love, that is refered to in this chapter on my myspace homepage. If you haven't ever heard it, check it out...it's one of the sexiest songs on the planet!_

An Affair to Remember

Dave laid on the bed with his arm propping up his head, trying not to watch her. He was like an adolescent boy that had just discovered his mother's lingerie catalogue peeking glances at her. He could watch her for hours. She wasn't doing anything more than packing her suitcase, but it was something about the graceful way in which she did it that turned him on. He looked her over from head to toe and felt his lips turn up in a smirk.

"What?" She said as she turned around. It was something in the look that he gave her that let her know right away what the _what_ was. Her smile was as menacing as his, but she wasn't going to let on that she knew. He was beautiful and all he was doing was lying on the bed. Clad only in sweat pants, with those fucking biceps popping out at her, looking at her, taunting her, screaming _"lick me, Britain." _She wondered was it natural to be so sexually attracted to one man. But still, just looking at those muscles, she couldn't wait to feel them on her again. The thought made her lick her lips.

"Dance for me."

"What?" She laughed. He had caught her off guard; here she was thinking about licking his muscles and he wanted her to bust a move? What was this Soul Train? She hadn't even been doing anything remotely seductive and here he wanted her to dance for him.

"I'm serious. Dance like you did at that club, I liked that." Being the world's sexiest man had its advantages. He knew what he was doing by dropping his voice lower and softer, taking the time to drag out every syllable. He had her right where he wanted her and found that he liked the fact that he was making her sweat. "You scared?"

Never being one to back down from a challenge, she rifled through her bag and got her CD case. She smiled when she ran across Paula Cole. _You want me to dance? Oh, I'll dance alright… I'm gonna blow your fuckin' mind._ She put the CD in the stereo and pushed the button until track number 9 came on. As soon as the music started she watched as Dave's eyebrow raised. The song, Feeling Love, had a slow but steady drum beat and a sexy keyboard and bass riff instantly reminding him of a Vaudeville strip show.

_Love, Love_

This was going to be lesson for Mr. Batista in who had the upper hand. Granted he might have a body that made her insides turn to mush, but she had something that he didn't…girly parts. And just like Angelina Jolie, not too many men, gay or straight could resist _her_ girly parts.

Slowly Britain started to sway her hips to the beat of the song. The more the opening riff played the harder she rocked. As soon as Paula's voice started, she slowly dragged her arms up her sides and leaned over the slightest bit to show her cleavage. Naturally she bit her lip with a flirty smile as she mouthed the words to the song.

_You make me feel like a sticky pistil...  
Leaning into a stamen  
You make me feel like a mister sunshine...  
Himself  
You make me feel like splendor in the grass...  
While we're rollin'_

She rolled her hips a little harder. She was becoming the living embodiment of that song. Every word that Paula spoke was exactly how she felt every time he touched her. He had the power to ignite a fire in her that raged every time she looked at him. She was going to make sure that he saw exactly how much he got to her, through the use of this dance. And with a little luck, she would turn him to jelly just like he did to her.

_Damn skippy baby  
You make me feel like the Amazon's runnin' between...  
my thighs_

She ran her hands across the inner part of her thighs slowly and dragged them up her body catching the hem of her t-shirt and pulling it up enough to expose her stomach, appreciating the smile on his face.

_You make me feel love, love, love, love, love  
Love, love, love, love, love _

She never took her eyes off of him as she walked closer to him. She noticed that when she came to stand next to the foot of the bed that he sat up, fully attentive to her advances. He couldn't resist scooting lower on the bed, until he was sitting at the foot of it with his feet resting on the floor. If Dave would have scooted any further down the bed, he would have been on the floor. She was putting on a private show for him and didn't want anything to obstruct his view. He paid close attention to her movements, every graceful sway of her hips. Those belly dancers in Hawaii could have taken a lesson from her, those hips moved like they were a part of the song, like it was the most natural thing in the world.

_You make me feel love, love, love, love, love  
Love, love, love, love, love_

The closer she got to the bed, the more in awe he became. Especially when she turned around and started to sway her ass in his face. When he reached out to touch it she turned around and waved her finger at him to tell him no. He watched as she twirled her hair around her finger and sucked another finger on her other hand into her mouth. She pulled it out slowly and took that moist finger and trailed it down her neck, all the while still swaying her hips and never losing the beat of the song. She let out a small groan to tease him, letting him know just how much she was enjoying the feel of her hands on her body.

_You make me feel like a candy apple  
All red and horny_

_You make me feel like I wanna be a dumb blonde  
In a centerfold, the girl next door_

She grabbed bottle of water that he had in his hand and poured it over her shoulder and her chest, making her shirt cling to her. After discarding the bottle, she pulled the clingy garment up her stomach by the use of only her thumb while her other hand grabbed her breast.

_And I would open the door and...  
I'd be all wet  
With my tits soaking through this tiny little t-shirt...  
That I'm wearing_

She managed to lift the shirt off and she started to wind it around her wrists, tying them together and then lifting her arms over her head, twirling her hips in wide circles with the music.

_And you would open the door and tie...  
Me up to the bed_

She dropped the shirt from her wrists and began to run her hands down her stomach, and past her waist, slowly grinding her hips toward her hand.

_You make me feel love, love, love, love, love  
Love, love, love, love, love_

With a seductive smile, she looked down at the tie on her pants and carefully she stuck her pelvis out toward him. Dave reached his hand forward with a serious look on his face. He took the tie in his hand and pulled on it gently, still watching the way her hips moved. He placed his hands on her hips as she shimmed out of the garment, but not before he took the liberty of running his hands up and down her hips. He was memorized by her belly button, the way the water that she had poured on herself ran down it. He wanted nothing more but to stick out his tongue and catch that offending droplets of water, but then he would miss the big finale to her dance number. What to do, what to do?

_You make me feel love, love, love, love, love  
Love, love, love, love _

With her pants safely away from her legs, she kicked her foot up so that the pants flew through the air. Dave caught them before they could land on the bed and smiled at the way she laughed. Britain squatted on the floor still moving her hips to the music but opening and closing her legs with her hands on her thighs in front of him to the beat of the song . She knew she had him and truthfully, if this modeling thing didn't pan out, she knew she would make one hell of a stripper.

_Lover, but I don't know who I am  
Am I Barry White? Am I Isis? Ohhh_...

Resting on her knees, she slid her hands slowly up his thighs and began to whip her head around so that her hair tickled his stomach. She finally looked up at him when his hand in her hair brought her face up to his. She kissed him softly before lying back on the floor. Her feet were planted when she lifted her hips and began to grind upward.

_Lover, I'm laced with your unconscious _

_Oh baby babe babe baby  
I will be your Desdemona ahhhhh..._

Dave watched as she ran her hands down her body. He wasn't sure how much more he could take or how much longer this song was going to go on, but this was fucking torture. But as painfully hard as he was, he found that he could not turn away. He literally had to run his hand over his mouth to check if he was drooling. He couldn't believe that someone could do things like that to him without even touching him.

_Take your time_

She let her hand trail inside of her underwear and she began to stroke softly, still moving her hips to the song. She closed her eyes and felt her skin start to prickle at the feeling she gave herself. A small satisfied groan escaped her when she reopened her eyes and locked on his.

_You make me feel Ahaa  
You make me feel WooWoo baby  
You make me feel Ahaa mmm  
You make me feel loved_

_You make me feel so good_

_Love, love oh no, no_

_Love, love oh no, no_

_No, no, no, no_

_You make me feel so good inside _

_And I'm gonna love what you do now_

_Love, love _

Dave was at his breaking point. Silently, he slid off the bed and knelt between her parted legs. He couldn't control himself, he _had_ to let his tongue trace her knee and was rewarded with that giggle that he loved and then that smile. It should never be spoken of the things that he did to her, but all he knew was that song was on repeat and he knew that he would be singing that song with a smile on his face for a long time to come.

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The heat of the shower did little to stop the hint of sadness she was feeling. Britain stepped in further under the spray allowing the hot water to beat on her head. Why did the week have to go by so fast? This was most fun she'd had in ages. Dave was this great guy…he wasn't one of those guys that talked about himself being one way, but showed himself to be another. And she found that she didn't have to pretend to be someone else either when she was with him. He let her rant about countless topics, often finding humor in some of the crass things that came out of her mouth. He just genuinely seemed to like the sound of her voice and it helped because she was always talking.

They seemed to be the perfect counterbalance to each other. He showed her a good time outside of his hotel room during the day and she showed him a great time inside every night.

On the first day, Dave nagged until Britain reluctantly agreed to work out with him. He had given her some crap about building strength and keeping her muscles agile. That night with one leg firmly planted on the floor and the other extended straight against his torso, performing the perfect vertical split, using only the sink behind her to keep her balance, Britain showed Dave that she didn't need to exercise for flexibility. On the second day, Dave laughed at her for not being to keep still during the long car ride to the Napa Valley. That night, she showed him just how long she _could_ ride, so well in fact, Dave kept requesting repeat performances. On the third day, Dave forced her to watch a Lakers' game, which she could've cared less about. That night, she forced him to watch her please herself… which he couldn't stop trying to help. On the fourth day Dave made fun of her golf stroke. That night, she showed him that the only club she was worried about, she already had the perfect stroke for. On the fifth day, Dave made arrangements for her to accompany him for a day at the spa. That night, she gave him what the masseuse didn't…a happy ending.

And now it was the sixth day, her last day with him.

It was over…they had their kicks and she never had to see him again. And the fact that he was drop dead gorgeous and sweet and had a body that made her knees weak, and a tongue ring, and big hands and every other amenity that a lady shouldn't think about wasn't going to change the fact that once she walked out of his room, she wouldn't look back. Getting sad about it, would only counteract everything that they had shared during their time together and they had too much of a good time to do that.

Britain opened her eyes under the spray and smiled when she felt two very large arms encircle her waist. His breath was warm on her neck and the small kisses he planted from her ear down to her shoulder made her forget that she wanted to go.

"You don't have to leave tonight." Dave whispered still peppering tiny kisses over her wet skin. "My flight isn't until tomorrow afternoon." He let his hands trail up her wet stomach until they reached the roundness of her breasts. Cupping them, he allowed his tongue to trail the wet skin that his lips just kissed. "Stay with me."

"I can't." There was nothing more in the world that she wanted than to stay with him for just one more night. But it couldn't happen, because she knew if she stayed another night, she would never want to leave. "I'm leaving for Europe in two days with my parents. I have a million things to do before our trip." Although her mouth was saying she couldn't stay, her hands still made their way up around his neck holding his head on that spot on her shoulder that his tongue seemed to love.

"Please?" Dave turned her around in the shower and loved the way the water droplets ran down her face. Her hair was beautiful wet and clinging to every inch of her silky skin. He needed to make sure he studied everything about the way she looked at that moment. He couldn't let her go…why did he have to let her go? "Please?"

Britain dropped her eyes from his. Those damn brown eyes were going to make her give in. "I have to go." She studied his lips, the way he licked them before he leaned in and kissed her. He was such a good kisser. His lips seemed to know just how much pressure to use and his tongue knew exactly how to tease hers. If she didn't get the hell out that hotel soon, she was sure that she would end up handcuffing herself to him, that way she never had to leave. But hearing him say please made her want to do any and everything that he requested. _You are not going to get attached to him. In a few hours you won't even remember his name. It was fun while it lasted, but this is it…this is all it was meant to be._

Dave used his strength to pick her up off of the floor and used the wall behind her to keep her stable. "Hold on to me." He never took his eyes off of hers as he started to move in her slowly at first, then he picked up speed. Everything about this woman drove him absolutely insane. How the hell was he supposed to get on a plane the next day and never see her again? _Because you have to. It was never supposed to be more than this. _But damn, her body felt good on his and those eyes…he could forget his own name looking in her eyes.

Britain couldn't deny him anything, especially not when his hips moved the way they did. He moved with force and authority, letting her know exactly how he wanted her. He held her up, kissing her passionately all the while still grinding into her. "Dave…" Why was it that she had an orgasm _every_ time she was with him? No one had ever made her body explode every single time, multiple times even. There was something this man that she would never get enough of.

It was over entirely too quickly for him. He wanted to be inside her for the rest of the night, but she was too warm, too wet and too beautiful to not give in. He held her there, even afterward, just enjoying the feel of her lips on his neck. He reluctantly let her feet touch the floor, but never let her go.

"I guess I have to wash all over again." She laughed tilting her head back to let the water rewet her hair. She loved the way his mouth felt on the hollow of her throat. And truthfully, she loved the way his large body covered hers. _This is why I need to leave…I could get use to this._

"Well seeing as how it's my fault, let me." Dave grabbed the body gel from the shelf and poured it in his hands. He didn't need a washcloth, not when this would be the last time his hands could roam over her body. He was purposely trying to delay her leaving and it worked, before long leading into the last time he would be with her.

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Dave carried Britain's bags out to her car, trying to figure out how he was supposed to say goodbye. Was it rude if he shook her hand or if he kissed her would he be giving her the impression that he wanted more? The quiet way she walked beside him didn't help either. He glanced over at her and noticed the way she played with the ends of her hair with a determined look on her face. But even the small pout on her face made her beautiful.

Britain watched him as he closed the trunk. She leaned against the car and studied his face as he looked at the ground with his hands in his pockets. "It was really nice meeting you Dave." She smiled at him to let him know that she really meant it.

"You too." This was more awkward than he expected. He didn't know what he wanted but her leaving damn sure wasn't it.

"I had fun."

Dave nodded. "So did I." His voice remained quiet, still searching his brain for the appropriate thing to say. He thought about different things he could say to her, but each one seemed to cheapen what they shared. How do you thank someone for sleeping with you?

Britain shrugged; she just wanted to get this over with. "You have a safe flight and don't get hurt at work." She covered all the basics making sure not to say anything remotely close to _I'll see you later_ or c_all me. _This was the end of their fling and she wanted it to be final, it _had_ to be final. She extended her hand forward and looked at him to shake it.

Dave looked at her hand confused. Shaking her hand would be disrespectful after the amazing week he had with her. He couldn't end it with a handshake, this wasn't a business arrangement…he didn't know what it was, but it definitely wasn't professional. He stepped forward and let out a sigh. With a small frown on his face, he cupped his large hands around her face and leaned in to kiss her softly. "You are an amazing woman." He whispered, resting his forehead against hers. He noticed everything about her up close. The way her eyes looked under the street light, the ever present smell of her coconut scented hair and baby lotioned skin, the gentle way she batted her lashes and of course the sexy way she bit her bottom lip. "Don't do that lip thing…if you keep doing it, I won't let you go."

Britain smiled and kissed him softly again. "Goodbye."

Dave raised his hand to wave as she pulled off. He couldn't say goodbye, not yet anyway. He was either completely whipped in 10 days, or he was feeling something else for her. _This is not supposed to happen._ He turned slowly back toward the hotel and made his way up to his room. It seemed so much smaller and quieter now that he was alone. He found that the one thing he was missing the most was hearing her giggle. Flopping on the bed, he couldn't help but to breathe in deeply. _Damn, even the pillows smell like her_. If he was trying to get her off his mind, he was failing miserably at it and she had only been gone for 15 minutes.

He rolled over and winced when he felt something sharp poke him in the back. Sitting up, he patted the bed behind him. He couldn't help but to laugh when he saw them…those strappy sandals that she wore on their first date. Those same sandals that he had asked her to wear repeatedly during the time they were together. Those were the same sandals that made her calves pop out, and extended her already long legs…the ones that tied up around her legs…he liked those sandals, a lot. He thumbed the card and read out loud.

_Dave,_

_Since you seem to like these so much, I thought you should keep them. Think about me whenever you wear them…Ha!_

_xoxoxo_

_Britain_

Dave held on those shoes and allowed himself to sink back amongst the pillows. It was like a twisted Cinderella fairytale; some way, some how, he had to find the woman that those shoes belonged to. No one else would _ever_ do those shoes justice the way that Britain did…no one.

_Lyrics: Feeling Love by Paula Cole used without permission._

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_A/N 2: I would like to thank my new Editor and Chief Sarahblue23. She edited so hopefully between the two of us, you won't need a damn dictionary to figure out what the hell I'm talking about. Thank you again Sarah, I can't say that enough!_


	7. Can't Get You Off My Mind

Can't Get You Off My Mine

Work was work and Dave Batista was going through the motions of loving his job. It's not that he didn't love his job, it's just he had been a little more preoccupied since he returned from his vacation. It had been three weeks since his trip and he should have gotten back into the swing of things by now. But it was more than that, Dave found himself constantly thinking about Britain. What was it about her that he couldn't get off his mind? He had slept with too many women to count in his life span; he had even married two of them. Yet no other woman that he could remember held his attention this long. He couldn't figure out if it was her youthful outlook on life or if it was that she was so honest…almost to a fault. Or maybe it was the way that she was always trying to hold back that he felt intrigued by. Besides the obvious physical aspects of why he missed her, he felt himself missing her on a whole deeper level.

In 10 days, it is impossible to know everything about anyone…hell, that's impossible after 10 years; but in those 10 days he could honestly say that he knew more about her than he did about his ex-wife, and he was married to her for 6 years. Besides hanging out all day and screwing like rabbits at night, Dave and Britain talked. They would stay up and talk about everything until the wee hours of the morning. There wasn't a subject that she wasn't versed in and she would tell him exactly felt at any given time. No matter how silly or crass, she was always good for a conversation.

"_So why don't you shave completely bare?" Dave laid on the bed with his head resting on Britain lap. He couldn't resist kissing her stomach and tugging at her belly bracelet with his teeth._

_Britain, who was propped up in a sitting position with her back against the head board, gave him a strange look. "Because I don't want to look like a 10 year old girl. I think that's nasty. Guys that want girls to be all shaved …they're fucking pedophiles. I'm a grown up, I was so happy when I got my first pubes…I'm not shaving them completely off. I keep it trim, keep it sexy, but I ain't goin' bald."_

_He couldn't stop laughing at the serious face she made. "Somehow I think there's more to it than that."_

_She closed her eyes and moved her head from side to side. "Ok, fine…I did it once and that shit hurt. I swear that woman was trying to kill me. I couldn't tell you what was worse, the hot wax or when that bitch ripped my pubes off. I swear I cried on that table. No man is worth that…ever."_

_He laughed at her again. "It's not that bad."_

"_So you wax?"_

"_Hell no. I shave myself." He rolled over on his back enjoying the feel of her fingers massaging his scalp. "I started shaving off my body hair when I was bodybuilding. When you're in competition you can't be hairy. My wife at the time told me it looked strange that the rest of me was hairless…so I figured why not. I was so scared the first time; I just knew I was gonna castrate myself. But then I made a discovery..."_

"_What that you're really flexible and you can get your head all the way down there?"_

"_No perv." He scrunched his face toward hers. "I discovered women's razors are softer and they have that moisturizing strip on them."_

_Now it was her turn to laugh. "I would never have guessed a big man like you would be so girly." It was cute actually, here he was probably the most intimidating man she had met in a long time, and he was as prissy as she was. "I should have figured. You have about as many moisturizing products on that sink as I do."_

"_Hey, ladies love smooth skin. You think that if I could just go out all hairy and scruffy that I wouldn't? My job demands that I look a certain way. My appearance puts asses in seats…we have so many female fans that we all have to keep up appearances." He found it relaxing to talk to her and rub her hair against his face at the same time. Her hair reminded him of a blanket he had as a child that had satin on the hem. "Beside, women's products smell nicer."_

_Britain pulled back the sheet that was barely covering his waist. "It does make the package look bigger."_

"_What do you mean, look bigger?" He leaned up to look at himself. "It is big."_

_She giggled. "Well, I don't have anything to compare it to…I've never seen the before picture." She didn't take her eyes off of it; instead, she reached over and held it in her hand. "You should thank your pediatrician…they did a great job on your circumcision. It's very pretty."_

"_Pretty?" Dave had had many comments on his junk throughout the years, but never once had anyone ever called it pretty. "Pretty?"_

"_Well, what would you call it?"_

"_Big… huge… scary even or, oh my God put that thing away. Not pretty." He pulled the sheet back over him and rolled away from her, folding his arms across his chest. He was pouting. He couldn't remember pouting since he was 5._

_He was so cute pouting. She could have eaten him up at that very moment. "Oh, I'm sorry." She whined in a little girl voice. "It's not pretty, it's very manly. It's a very manly, big, huge, scary, I think it's gonna tear me in two sized cock." When he turned back over she could only give him a crooked forced smile. "Feel better now?"_

"_No. You're just saying that. You don't mean it." He rolled toward her stomach again. "Pretty?" He mumbled under his breath. "I'll show you pretty." Sitting up quickly, he managed to yank her down by her feet until she was lying on the bed. Dave was on his knees in front of her as he drew her legs up, so that her feet were laying flat on the bed. With his hands on her knees, he moved them apart from one another. "Now this is pretty." He was sure he was going to take that lip from her if she bit it again. He never wanted to be her lip so badly in all his life. He made sure to watch her face as his hands moved around on her. He touched her in not so much of a sexual way, but more of a way of exploration. He found every spot; even the ones that made her clinch her teeth and the one that made her speak Spanish. "This is the prettiest thing I have ever seen." He whispered before lying on the bed to see if she tasted as pretty as she looked._

"Call her." Dave looked up, only to see Ric Flair standing beside him.

He hadn't talked to his friends about his vacation. He answered the basics, like how was your trip, did you have fun…those kinds of questions, but never once said anything about meeting someone. If nothing else, he knew how they would rag him and besides, there was nothing to tell. He and Britain shared 10 great days together, but that was all it was supposed to be. "What?"

Ric patted Dave's shoulder and pulled up the chair next to him. "I've only seen you mope around like a big fucking baby when it's about a girl. Since you just went home and talked my fucking ear off about how great your daughters are, I know it ain't them. So whoever she is, just call her."

Dave thought it about for a moment, he could trust Ric. Ric was his mentor; he was the man that he looked up to. "It's not that easy." He carefully explained the situation, leaving out all of the sexual parts. "If she wanted to see me again, she would have called me by now."

"Just like you're calling her, right?" Ric shook his head. _When are these youngster going to learn?_ "Listen kid, this, right here, is a chick move. She's probably thinking the same thing. She's probably thinking she was nothing more than an easy lay and that's all you wanted."

"But it was more than that." He defended. Dave didn't want Ric to get the wrong impression. He wasn't Randy Orton or anything remotely as cheap and whorish as that. Nor did he want to come off as being sprung; after all, he didn't want to get involved with anyone. "She was fun to be around. I liked her."

"What do you want?"

It was a simple question. What _did_ he want? Dave thought about it for a moment then he looked Ric in the eye. "I want to see her again."

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If Britain had to listen to X convince her that she should go to this Hollywood party with her any longer, she was going to get arrested for a homicide. "I don't wanna go. I just wanna curl up in my bed and go to sleep." All she had to do was hang up the phone, but she couldn't because Christina would only call her back. "Look, I'm going home tomorrow. I have an early flight and I hate mornings. Let me sleep, please?"

"You are so full of shit. What have I told you? Hit and split. How hard is that?" X shook her head at the phone. She knew Britain better than Britain did. "You're still hung up on that Dave guy aren't you? Was he that fucking good?"

"I'm not hung up on him." Britain defended. She didn't get attached to guys, no matter how nice or well hung they were.

With the phone to her ear, X cupped her hand and made a jerk-off motion. "Yeah. Sure. Look honey, I don't care how sweet he seemed, he's just like the rest of them. It's been three weeks and he hasn't called you yet. Fuck him. Go out with me."

"Well…I haven't called him either." Why was she defending the fact that he hadn't called her? Not that she really thought he would, but a part of her still hoped. They clicked…she hadn't ever clicked with _anyone_ like that before. But she'd be damned if she was going to look desperate and call him first. Even if she could play it off as a 'hi, how ya been' kind of a phone call. This was the very same reason why she never spent more than one night with someone and why she didn't care to know them. Britain knew she was a hopeless romantic, but she had been burned every time she took a stab at love. She should have known after the third day with him that this was going to be hard, but she didn't realize it was going to be _this_ hard.

"Yeah…your not pressed all are you?' X's sarcasm received a grunt from her best friend. "Look, I'm going out and I would love for you to come with me. But if you want, I can come over and we can eat ice cream and veg out, and you can whine all you want about how big his dick was." She smiled when she heard Britain laugh. "I'm serious kid…whatever you want."

Britain loved X, for no other reason then she truly wanted her to be happy. Although X didn't believe that she could ever fall in love again, she liked the idea that Britain believed. "It's stupid anyway, I don't know why I let myself get wrapped up. I knew he was only here for a little while. But we had so much fun…" She had to stop thinking about Dave. She didn't want to be involved with anyone. She had convinced herself that he wasn't like every other man she'd dated, but here he was slowly proving her wrong. "I'm gonna go to sleep. I'll call you when I get to Miami."

"Ok…I'll miss you. And if I get laid tonight, I'll make sure to scream your name." X laughed at herself.

"I love you."

"Love you too. Be good and have a safe flight."

Britain hung up the phone and flopped back on her bed. This whole time in California didn't go anything like she planned. She was supposed to work, hang out with her girlfriends, travel with her family and go home. No where was she supposed to meet _him_ and she was most definitely she was not supposed to not be able to get him off of her mind.

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"I think about you when I go to the bathroom." That's the way that Britain answered her cell. It had to be Christina, drunk on her ass about to fuck some guy she just met, calling for a pep talk. That's what they always did. But she was surprised when she heard a deep chuckle on the other end of the phone.

"Uh…thanks?" Dave had never had someone say that to him before and he was a little unsure if that was good thing or a bad thing. "It's Dave."

Britain's eyes flew open from the light sleep that she just fallen into. She sat up on the bed and started to smooth down her hair as if he could see her. "Oh…hey." _Open mouth, insert foot._ "How ya doin'?"

"Good, you?"

"Good."

There was an awkward silence over the phone. This was the first silence that he remembered sharing with her. "I didn't know if you would mind me calling you."

A smile crept across her face, but she refused to let him hear it in her voice. "No, it's cool. Where are you?"

"Wisconsin. It's about 1:00 in the morning here."

"Oh." She had no idea why he was calling or what she was supposed to say to him, but ut was good to hear his voice. "So, is everything ok?"

"Yeah, everything's good." Dave held his breath…not something that the sexiest man on planet does when talking to a female, but she was no ordinary female…apparently she had superpowers too. "Look, we're going to be in Georgia next week and I want to hook up with you. Can I fly you out to see me?" As soon as he said it, he knew it was it was wrong. _That didn't come out right._

"Whoa." At that very moment Britain felt like she had been slapped in her face. How dare he? "I haven't heard from you in three weeks and then you call out of the clear blue and ask me to fly to another state just so you can fuck me?" Every ounce of the happiness and nervousness that she felt when she heard his voice, slowly started to fade away. A simple hello, how are you, how was Europe, would have made her happy. But here he was slowly knocking himself off of that pedestal she had him on. It's not like she had never had a booty call before…it's not like she never traveled for one before either, but Dave was different; at least she thought he was.

"No, no, no…that's not what I meant. I meant…shit…" Dave scratched his head and tried to put it into words. When Ric said call her, he didn't say what to say to her. "I really had fun with you and I would really like to see you again."

There was a tone of sincerity in his voice, but still she didn't trust it. "Then why didn't you call me before?" _Why do I care? _

Dave sighed; he didn't have a good reason. He couldn't tell her it was because he was hoping she would call him first. He knew damn well that she wouldn't. "Because I didn't know what to say. I didn't want to sound like a complete asshole when I called."

"Kinda like you sound right now?"

"Exactly. Look Britain…I miss…I miss you." It was like pulling teeth to admit that, but it felt great to finally say it.

Britain had heard every bullshit line there was, but deep within her heart of hearts, she knew that he was telling the truth and that scared her to death. "You don't even know me Dave." When in doubt, put up a wall. It had always worked before.

"That's what I miss…getting to know you."

This going in the wrong direction. At least if he were up front and said that he just wanted to continue to sleep with her she could have handled that, but he still wanted to get to her know her? What the fuck was that about? "I don't let guys know me."

"I don't remember that rule."

She had to think of something fast. "That's because I just made it up. But now seems like as good a time as any to institute a new rule." She couldn't believe it; they had this amazing time together and now he had just completely shit on everything. _You're such a fucking jerk. _

"Well maybe I want you to get to know me." Dave rolled over in his bed, cradling the phone to his ear.

She wasn't expecting that one. Suddenly she couldn't think of a smart ass comment. "Whatever."

He could tell by the sound of her voice that she was pissed, although he wasn't exactly sure why. He didn't mean his request to see her to sound as cheap as it had, but he apologized. _This is as hard for me as it is for you. _ "I really would like to see you. Will you come?"

Britain rubbed her hand across her forehead. "No." It had been an art form that she had perfected over the years, acting as if she didn't care about anything when inside she was falling apart. His phone call really hurt her, probably more than it should have. And even more than that was the fact that she _wanted _to see him again, but she couldn't. She wouldn't allow herself to get hurt again.

Dave sighed and held the phone in his hand. Somehow he knew he had fucked up royally and he wasn't sure how to fix it. "Well at least I tried, right?" He didn't want the disappointment to come through in his voice. This was a major step for him, calling a woman and asking her to come see him. Yet she was acting like the time they had been together meant nothing to her.

"Yeah and I'm sure if you try really hard, you can get some woman in Wisconsin to spend 10 more days with you." She could feel her eyes tear up as she clinched her jaw. She got out of the bed and started to go through her already packed bag. She was going to find X and get shit-faced right along with her. "Un-fucking-believable."

"What does that mean?" Were they having their first fight? He thought that she would be happy to hear from him. He thought that they really hit it off.

Britain slammed her jeans down on her bed and looked at cell phone. "I'm not a whore, Dave…that's what that means. I don't know if that's the impression I gave you, or if that's what you're use to, but that's not me. I didn't need you to wine me and dine me so you could fuck me. And I damn sure don't need you to pay for a plane ticket so you can fuck me again. Do you think it takes just one phone call for me to go running to see you just to get turned out and wait damn near another month to hear from you again? I'm easy Dave…not fucking stupid."

He could tell by her voice that she was really hurt and that wasn't his intention at all. "Britain…I didn't mean it like that." He had no idea what she was talking about. That was one of the things about relationships that he didn't get. Dave wasn't really an emotional guy. He felt emotions, but they usually came across as anger. But still, something about her made him feel vulnerable. "I just really want to see you again."

"Yeah well, you're old enough for your wants not to bother you." She stood in her bedroom and felt the first angry tear roll down her face. "Look, I gotta go. Good luck with finding someone to meet you in Georgia."

Dave listened to the silence in his phone when she hung up and couldn't figure out what had happened. He didn't mean to make her feel like that's all he wanted from her. Since he had known her, never once did he allude to that. But he could totally understand why she felt like that. "Fuck." He said out loud clinching his phone in his hand. This was bullshit, but he didn't know how to make it right.

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_Author's Note: I rewrote this chapter about 3 times, poor Sarah...sorry. Anyway, the story will start to pick up once I get the other characters in it...Randy, John, Ric, and Dave's kids. I can't write a story without some kind of turmoil. They were too damn happy for me!_


	8. Drunk Dialing

Drunk Dialing

Britain Weis could drink like a fish, which was one of the good things about having both Latino and German ancestors…she could hold her liquor. The problem was she couldn't hold her tongue when she was drunk. She had met up with X and had a great time, but even drunk and partying, she was still fuming about Dave's phone call. Who the fuck did he think he was? First he had the nerve to call her after three weeks of nothing and then he had the balls to ask her to come see him. And how dare he still be so sweet? It would have taken a few more weeks, but she would've gotten over him, she was sure of that. But no, he had to be all charming and say that shit about wanting to get to know her.

"You know what? I should call him and cuss his ass out." Britain was drunk and ready to fight. She looked at X who was lying face down on her bed nodding.

"Yeah…who the fuck does he think he is? You're Britain fuckin' Weis. He'd better recognize." X thought the entire argument between the two of them was utterly stupid. It was obvious they both were feeling each other, but Britain was being stubborn. Even if X didn't think that this would end up lasting, Britain was happy during the time she was with Dave; her best friend was happier than she'd been in a long time. "Get his ass on the phone. I'll cuss him out for you."

"Oh, I got this." Britain stumbled over to her purse and pulled out her cell. So what if it was 4:00 in the morning? She knew it was later in Wisconsin and he liked getting up early. She dialed the number impatiently and waited for him to answer.

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Dave moved around the gym completely out of it. He hadn't slept much, mostly because he was still trying to figure out what happened. He was annoyed, he was disappointed, but most of all he was sorry.

"So, did you call her?" Ric asked walking over to where Dave was sitting on the weight bench tightening the grips on his gloves.

Randy Orton popped his head up from the crunches he was doing. "Call who?"

Randy Orton, Ric Flair, John Cena and Hunter Hearst Helmsley were Dave's closest friends. That's not to say that the five of them didn't have their moments of utterly hating each other, but no matter how pissed they got, they always ended up friends again. Each one of his friends was so different from the other and they each provided him with their own unique perspective whenever he confided in them.

Randy Orton was the young and cocky man that Dave once was. At 23 years old, Randy was a ladies' man and the quickest rising star in the business. A lot of the other guys didn't like Randy because they thought the only reason he got pushed was because of his father's reputation. But if any of them took the time to get to know him, they would know that Randy hardly ever spoke to his father. Randy worked twice as hard as everyone else to get where he was and he took his job seriously. But because of his age, he got in a lot of trouble. He _was_ only 23 and that practical joke shit might work in a frat house, but not so much in the locker-room. If nothing else, Randy was always good for a laugh about the stupid shit he got himself .

Ric Flair was the seasoned professional that reminded Dave of his father. Ric might have been a playboy back in the day, but now, he was just a guy full of advice. Although his temper was a little short when it came to the other guys, he was still there to let them know right from wrong and which end was up. Ric was also a ladies' man, but he did it with such poise that Dave was constantly in awe. Ric was the smoothest pimp Dave had ever met and the chicks he pulled weren't bimbos either. And much like himself, Ric couldn't _keep _a woman to save his life. He was already on his fourth marriage and he swore that this one was the one…not that the others believed it, but _he_ believed it.

John Cena was the wild side of Dave. Although he was on Smackdown and they didn't get to see him much, whenever Cena was around, the good times always rolled. John was the guy that didn't give a shit what anybody thought about him and was always so damn happy that you didn't believe he had any other emotions. John could get mugged and still be in a good mood. He was loud and obnoxious and had this affinity for rap music and "thug life", but it worked for him. He was probably the only white guy that Dave knew that could get away with speaking in Ebonics. John also liked the hoochies; the bigger the ass and the more stripper-esque the girl was, the more John liked her. John had a rule that he would live and die by: "say whatever it takes to get in the drawers". Dave loved to hear about his wild escapades; he was 26 once and hearing John tell his tales made him wish he was 26 again.

Then there was Hunter…he was the foul-mouthed, bad mood side of Dave. Hunter _was_ a nice guy, but he just didn't take much shit from people. He had so much pressure from being the boss' son-in-law, a boss who hated him by the way, that he often just lashed out at people for no apparent reason. Hunter was a smart bastard, often too smart for his own damn good. The fun-loving crazy guy that was once in DX all that time ago was still there, but the more conniving side of him seemed to come through now more than it ever did before. Usually if shit popped off at a club or in public, it was because of him. He liked drama so it was no surprise that there was never any shortage of it when he was around.

Flaws and all, Dave's boys were his boys and lucky for him, he got to travel with 3 of them all the time and he only lived about 10 minutes away from the other. They were a constant staple in his life and they were every part of the good and bad. If nothing else, they could give him some advice on how to handle this whole Britain situation.

"Look… I met this girl when I was in California and we ended up spending my entire vacation together. I thought we really hit it off. But then I didn't call her…" He looked at Ric and narrowed his eyes. "So _Ric_ suggested that I call her and now she's all pissed at me."

Laughter was not the kind of support Dave thought he was going to get. He didn't think he could take on all of them at the same time, but one on one, he was going to beat their asses.

"Why the fuck can't you go away without falling in love?" Hunter laughed throwing a towel at the larger man. "I have never met a bigger pussy in all my life. You are always caught up."

John nodded. "He's right. GQ, you gotta learn how to be a playa."

Ric slapped John across the chest to get him to shut up. "What did you say to her?"

Dave shrugged. "I asked her to fly out to Georgia. I told her I had a good time and I wanted to see her again."

"Did you apologize for not calling her? Did you make it sound like you didn't just wanna get laid again?" Ric shook his head. Even if Ric couldn't keep a relationship going, he always knew how to woo the ladies. Dave may have been a woman magnet, but he had a lot to learn about relationships.

Before Dave had a chance to answer, he heard his cell phone ringing. Growling, he stood up and went to his bag. It was only 6:15 in Wisconsin, so he knew that it was important. People didn't randomly call that early in the morning unless it's a big deal. "Hello?" He hadn't checked the caller ID on his phone before he answered. If he had, he might have had time to prepare himself.

"Who the fuck do you think you are?" Britain waved her finger in the air and closed her eyes when she spoke. She could just imagine his beautiful face, smiling at her. "Three weeks… three fucking weeks and nothing." She held up 4 fingers to emphasize the point. "Then in one phone call, you're all I can think about. What kind of games are you playing?"

"Britain?" Dave knew it was her voice, but she didn't sound like herself. She was slurring her words and not making much sense. "Are you drunk?"

"Maybe." She answered defiantly. "But you're stalling, what do you want from me?"

He debated whether or not he should have this conversation with her. As drunk as she sounded, he was sure she wouldn't remember it. "Why don't you call me when you feel better?"

"Why don't you kiss my ass?" She nodded at X who raised her hand in testimony. "You think because you got a big dick and a nice smile that you can treat me anyway you want? Well fuck you, Dave Batista. I'm filing this shit under 'S' for shady."

"What are you talking about?" He seriously had no clue what this drunken rant was about.

X was coaching her on, giving her the ammo she needed. "Anybody can make me cum. You think because you could do it multiple times that makes you Dick Daddy Yo or something? I told you about the rules and you're still trying to fucking break them." She thought about if there was anything else she wanted to say. "Oh yeah, and don't fucking call me anymore."

Even though she was cursing him out, he still found her amusing. "I-I didn't. You called me."

"Oh…well, don't answer next time. We fucked, just leave it at that." Britain hung up the phone and high-fived X, right before passing out. Even though she was drunk out of her mind, she still knew that in the morning she would regret making that call.

Dave stood with his phone in his hand looking at his friends. "She fucking hung up on me. I think I just got drunk dialed." He laughed at the situation, but found himself wondering if that's how she really felt. Was that all it meant to her?

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Dave milled around trying to make himself busy. That call from Britain was still getting to him. There was more to her anger than she was letting on. After he finished his workout and a signing, he retreated to his hotel room. He replayed the conversation in his head several times before deciding that he wasn't going to let it end that way. Acting on impulse, he picked up the phone and punched the keys until he found the number he was looking for.

"Why are you mad at me?" He didn't even say hello, he wanted to get to the point. His voice remained calm and low as he pinched the space between his eyes to gain some understanding.

Britain felt like she had been hit by a Mack truck. She had missed her flight and was still at X's trying to sleep off her night of drinking. "What?" She was whining because she was tired. She didn't even know who was on the phone much less what he was talking about.

Dave's voice remained impassive. "What did I do?"

"What are you talking about?" Her voice was a heavy whisper as she tried to piece together the previous night of partying.

"You called me this morning and cussed me out for no reason."

"I called you? Shit." Why was she talking to him? She was supposed to be angry with him for treating her like a whore. But what if she confessed to him how she felt. "What did I say?"

"You basically said that you don't want to see me again. But you were really pissed about it. Why?"

"Look Dave, I don't feel so hot right now. Can we talk about this later?"

"No. We're gonna talk about it now. Why are you mad at me?" He was getting impatient. Dave didn't like to let things linger, he liked to deal with things when they happened, while it was still fresh in everyone's mind.

Britain was annoyed. Not only was she upset with him, but now she was upset with herself for calling him and giving away far too much information. "Fine…you wanna know why I'm mad? All you had to do was let me leave after I slept with you. But no, you had to spend more time with me; you had to be so nice…"

He decided to deal with this conversation like he did with his children when they would argue and whine about things that he had no clue about. But with enough coaxing and free word association, he could start to string together the problem. "So you're mad because I wanted more than a one night stand? You're mad because I actually like you and want to get to know you better?" He could think of worse things he could have done.

Britain picked at the fuzz on the blanket she was under. She still hadn't opened her eyes, because she was sure that the sun would instantly burn her retinas. She couldn't figure what was worse, drunk dialing him or hang-over talking to him. "You made me like you and then you go pull this shit. I was fine with you not calling me, but then you had to call. I was fine with you wanting to hook up again, but then you still want more. I was fine with you being a prick, but then you had be all sweet about it and say that you missed me. You're an asshole."

Dave tried to stifle his laugh. She definitely was a feisty one. "So the real problem is you're still trying to run."

"I'm not running." She was too tired to defend herself, but she wasn't running. Britain Weis didn't get scared, not about things like this.

"Then why won't you come see me? What are you scared of?" He knew she had a bunch of rules but he had no idea why. She was so vibrant and full of life, he couldn't imagine what kind of fucked up relationships she must have had to make her so guarded now. But the strange thing was, she wasn't like that around him. She seemed to have genuinely let down her guard around him.

"I'm not scared of anything."

"So then tell me what you want."

She let out a frustrated sigh and pulled the blanket up over her head. "I want you to leave me alone, so I can go throw up." The more she thought about it, the less reserved she became. "I want to go about my normal life without wondering if you're gonna call me or thinking about you… or missing the way you kiss me. I want you to get the hell off my mind."

Dave settled in his chair confused. "You still think about me?"

"Yeah." She answered defeated.

"Me too." His admission was quiet as he tried to figure out how to explain her without making her run again. "I've never met anybody like you before and I know a good thing when I see it. I want see where this takes us."

She opened her eyes and whined into the phone. "I don't have time for this Dave. I don't want to waste my time getting to know you, only to find out that you're this big asshole later on."

"Well make time. I'm willing to." There were so many things he wanted to say, but not over the phone. "I don't do dating or relationships really well. But there's something about you that I really like and that makes me happy when I think about you. I just want to find out what else could happen. We can take this as slow as you want." He felt like he was on the _Lifetime_ channel. He had never poured his heart out to woman before, much less a virtual stranger.

"Are you real? I mean, guys like you don't happen to me. So if you're just trying to get your kicks, don't. I'm not in the mood."

"I have my faults, trust me. I can be an asshole at times. I'm moody, I'm set in my ways, but I also don't take no for an answer. So unless you're gonna give me some real reason why we can't see each other, I'm going to keep asking you to come and see me." He had put his foot down. She could run all she wanted, but he was going to chase her. He didn't care if he looked desperate or pathetic. He had only known this woman for a very short time, but already he knew that he couldn't do without her. She had managed to rewrite his own set of rules; not getting involved being the main one. "So how 'bout it? Will you come to Georgia?"

Britain let out a loud sigh. "Shit."

The smile on his face grew. "Is that a yes shit or a no shit?"

"Yes…shit." She couldn't figure out how she got here. She would be lying is she said she didn't want to see if there was anything there either, but she was more afraid that there actually was something there. Britain knew how much she liked Dave. In the short time that she had known him, she knew that he was somebody that she could get all wrapped in and that also meant that he was somebody that could really hurt her. "I really don't like you, you know that?"

Dave chuckled into the phone. "Yes you do…that's your problem."

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_A/N: I have the best editor in the world! I only changed 2 lines after she gave me back the corrected copy. This is so cool!_


	9. A Sight for Sore Eyes

A Sight for Sore Eyes

Nervousness wasn't something Dave Batista did, ever; after all, she _was_ just a girl. But it was something about this girl that made him feel things that he didn't think that he was capable of. Dave had gone from giddy to anxious, from self conscience to nervous, not to mention a thousand other emotions, all within the span of 10 minutes. What he couldn't understand the most, was why he wasn't nervous when he spoke with her on the phone. Over the course of the week leading up to her visit, Dave and Britain talked everyday, sometimes twice a day, and he found her just as easy to talk to as he ever did. He had seen her naked for God's sake, what was there to be so noid about?

"GQ, sit the fuck down." John laughed looking up from his Gameboy Advance SP. He had been watching Dave pace the locker-room for the last few minutes and it was throwing off his game. "I ain't never seen you so fuckin' pressed over a female."

Dave huffed and looked at his watch again. He pulled his cell phone out of his pocket and thumbed through the screens to make sure he hadn't gotten any messages. For all he knew, she could have called already, but he didn't have reception in the bowels of the arena that they were in.

"Bro…your shit didn't ring." Randy sat back against the couch and laughed. "I can't wait to meet this chick. She better be all that, because she's got you acting like …"

"A punk ass bitch." Hunter finished the sentence for Randy and bucked up when he saw Dave stick his chest out in annoyance. "You want some? I'll fuck you up before your girl gets here."

Dave looked at his friends and tried to remember why they were his friends. He knew any one of those guys would take a bullet for him and vice versa, but if it just so happened that sniper came into the Evolution locker-room at that moment, they would all be up shit's creek.

"Fuck you." Dave said with a smile to Hunter before flipping him the bird.

He leaned back on the chair and tried to calm himself down as he waited for her call.

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Britain Weis looked at the Mapquest directions again and talked to herself. She had passed the same street three times already and couldn't figure out why the directions had her cut across one street and down another when she could've just stayed on the street she on to begin with. This was by far the most trouble that she had ever gone through for a man. But, if these four days were going to be anything like they were in California, it was going to be well worth it.

As she passed the sign for the arena, she tried to control how much she was smiling. Her heartbeat started to increase and she could feel her palms sweating. She was excited to see him; she never got excited to see a guy. But a part of her couldn't help but to wonder if he would different around his friends. Guys had a tendency of treating her one of two ways around their friends: either they treated her like she was a whore or they completely ignored her. Dave didn't strike her as either type of guy, but he _was_ a guy and she wasn't ruling anything out. She had already made up her mind that she was going to cautious, but not to the point of not getting any. As she punched the numbers in for his cell phone Britain made a promise to herself, _I'm not gonna get caught up._

"Hello? Shit…hold on. If you touch me again, I'm fucking you up." Dave's deep voice rang through her cell as he threatened Randy's life. "Hello?"

"Hi. I'm here, I think." She looked around the dark arena lot that was already filling up with cars.

Dave breathed a sigh of relief. He wanted to pick her up from the airport, but her flight got in after he had to be at work. "You need to find the security entrance; I already gave them your name, so you can get on that lot." He started to walk down the hall toward the security desk. "I'll wait outside for you."

"Ok. I'll see you in few minutes." Britain hung up her phone and drove around until she found her destination. As she hitched her purse on her shoulder, she happened to catch a glimpse of him standing there with his back to her. She walked on the ball of her feet so that she wouldn't make any noise and as soon as she was close to him, she poked him in his shoulder and then ducked around to the side he didn't turn toward.

Dave caught her out of the corner of his eye and a large smile spread across his face. She was absolutely stunning. She wore tight black bell-bottom pants complete with these heels that he couldn't wait to test out. She had a green baby doll top, that was tight at the top and opened underneath her breastbone to expose her stomach, giving him more of that belly bracelet that he had grown accustomed to. Her hair was up, but there were a few tendrils of long black waves hanging down. He didn't know what he wanted to do first, kiss her or touch her soft hair. But when she smiled at him and those beautiful eyes shined, he couldn't help but to cock his head to the side.

"Still blushing I see." Britain sized him up in a second. She thought he was delicious naked, but good Lord the man looked just as good clothed. He wore a blue suit that was tailor made for his large body with a pinstripe shirt that was so crisp she was surprised it wasn't cutting his neck. He had on diamond cuff links and a Rolex…he just looked like the business man that you'd sleep with to close the deal. _We're supposed to be taking this slow, remember?_

Dave reached out and took her by the hand. "Did you have a good flight?"

She nodded and looked around the parking lot. She noticed all of the fans standing near the security barricades looking at him. Women were holding up signs, screaming his name…she hadn't been around this scene in years and suddenly all of it came rushing back. Britain's demeanor changed almost instantly. Just being there, at a wrestling show, brought back memories that she swore she would never think about again. Her discomfort must have been written on her face, but Dave said something about it. "You nervous?" He raised his brow when she nodded. "Come on, they're gonna love you."

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Dave knocked on the Evolution locker-room door and stuck his head in. "Everybody decent?"

"These assholes have never been decent." Ric laughed, dodging wads of paper being thrown at him from the others.

Dave narrowed his eyes at his friends before opening the door wider. He noticed how their eyes widened and their jaws dropped when she walked in the room. She had that affect on people. "Guys this is Britain." He turned to Britain and squeezed her hand a little tighter. "Britain these are the guys. This is Hunter."

Hunter nodded at her and offered a smirk. "Hey." She guessed he wasn't the friendliest of people, but screw him.

"This is Ric Flair." Dave looked over at Ric who was smiling and nodding his head. He knew he would never hear the end of it from Ric.

As soon as Ric saw her, he tilted his head to the side in question. It wasn't until she dropped her eyes did he recognize her face. "It's a pleasure to meet you." Ric said stepping forward to shake her hand.

Britain's voice was soft when she spoke to him; she never thought in a million years that she would set eyes on him again. "I don't know if you remember me, but I met you before. I use to hang out with some of the guys from the nWo. Mostly with Luger, Steiner and Bagwell." God, she hated saying that name.

Ric raised his brow and offered her a smile. He wasn't going to bring up anything about what he remembered. Instead, Ric shook his head and played innocent. "You have to forgive me. I've taken one too many bumps to the head." Ric finally let go of her hand. "Was I nice to you?"

"Very." Even if he didn't remember, she did.

Dave shook his head and gave John "the eye" indicating that he would need to tone down his John-like behavior in front of his guest. "The idiot brothers over here are John Cena and Randy Orton."

John stepped forward and took her hand, never taking his eyes off of her. "What's up?"

"Not much." She smiled at him. John was pretty, not as pretty as Dave, but he was pretty. He was more rugged looking, with a square chin that held the cutest little dimple and these gorgeous blue eyes and sandy brown hair. He had a massive body too. _Damn…X would have a fucking field day._

"Hi, I'm Randy." Randy said extending his hand. He made his voice deeper and gave her a cocky grin when she smiled at him.

"It's nice to meet you Randy." If Britain hadn't met Dave, she would've fucked Randy without question. He reminded her of Dave. He was big, about an inch shorter and maybe 50 pounds lighter, but their builds were the same and where Dave had warm brown eyes, Randy's were an intense blue. John was hot, but she didn't really like blondes, she liked her men tall, dark, and handsome; just like Randy and Dave.

"Is there a restroom?" She turned to Dave and smiled. Being around that many fine ass men made her start to sweat. She needed to check her pits to make sure she wasn't funking up the place.

Dave nodded and stepped in closer to her. He leaned over her shoulder, so that his arm was touching hers and pointed to a door. "It's right through there." He spoke softly and right into her ear, feeling the heat from her shoulder near his face. He wanted to touch her, but he didn't want to hear their mouths about it.

"Thanks."

They all watched as she made her way across the room and closed the door behind her. Dave closed his eyes, he knew what was coming. When he reopened them, he was greeted by all eyes on him in disbelief.

"Damn!" John yelled. "You hit that yet?" That's all he really cared about, was everyone hitting it. In his mind, they had to use their stardom for something, why not use it for meaningless sex?

Dave looked at John in total disgust. "I'm not answering that."

"How the fuck can he have a fucking belt and not bang chicks like that?" Randy said pointing to John. "I'm _in _fucking Evolution and I don't score chicks like that. This is bullshit." Randy had his hands on hips and was shaking his head trying to figure how come he wasn't getting ass as attractive as Britain's. "Hunt you need to use your powers and hook that shit up."

Dave didn't respond verbally to Randy, instead he walked up behind the smaller man and grabbed his arm, pulling it tightly behind his back.

"Fuck man…ok, ok, ok…I give. I give, shit. Let me go Dave…let me go." Randy whined in a half-pained, half-laughter filled voice. He tried to reach around to grab Dave, but it was to no avail.

"You are going to behave while she's here, got it. You are _not _going to embarrass me." Before Dave could inflict anymore pain, the bathroom door opened again. He let go of Randy's arm but whispered in his ear. "I can kick your ass, don't forget that."

Randy looked at Britain and smiled. "You're boyfriend's a pussy." He turned around, punched Dave in the arm, and then ran out the room.

Dave shook his head. He was sure he was going to die from embarrassment at any moment. He was already nervous enough having her there, but then they had to be acting like assholes, not that he would have expected anything less. But when he looked up and noticed her laughing, suddenly the butterflies seemed to settle. He looked at her from across the room and paid no attention to Hunter telling him that they needed to go shoot a skit for the upcoming segment. Dave only nodded in response to Hunter as he walked across the floor toward her. "I didn't say hi to you did I?"

Britain shook her head and poked out her bottom lip. "Nope."

"Hello." Dave slowly leaned down and let his thumb trace her jaw. Her lips felt exactly the way he remembered them. Her breath was minty fresh; if he didn't know better he would have sworn she had just brushed her teeth in the bathroom. Her tongue was still soft and playfully poked out of her mouth as it touched his. He felt her hands smooth their way inside of his suit jacket and then settle on his butt as she kissed him back. He forgot that he was supposed to be working...all he could think about were her lips.

"Bro, you comin'?" Randy poked his head back in the locker-room. He couldn't resist making kissing noises, bringing John and Hunter to the door with his antics. They watched as Dave and Britain paid no attention to them at all. "Dude, you ain't going off to war. Come the fuck on."

"Hi." She said softly pulling away from him. When he kissed her again she swore her eyes were sweating. She could definitely get use to this. But the sounds of his impatient friends made her laugh in his mouth. "You should go."

"I'll be back in few minutes." He stole a few more kisses before groaning and walking out the room.

"Aye mi dios." _Oh my God. _Britain thought her face was going to burst into flames because she was blushing so hard. She looked around and was suddenly embarrassed to know that John was still sitting there. "You don't have to go, too?"

"Nah. Dave put me on Britain watch."

"I don't need a babysitter." She raised her brow at John and decided she loved his smile.

He shrugged. "Too bad, you got me. You wanna look around or somethin'?"

She nodded. "Is Chris Jericho here? I haven't seen him in years."

"I don't know if that's a good idea, B. He's been havin' a fuckin' bitch fit all night." John opened the door and watched as Britain walked through it. He shook his head…Dave was his friend, but damn...

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Britain stood at the door with John and looked over at him as he shrugged his shoulders. She motioned her head for John to knock on the door and then narrowed her eyes at him when he shook his head and took a few steps back. She turned back toward the door and held her breath, trying to hear what he was yelling about.

"This is bullshit. Why the fuck I gotta do this dumb shit?" Chris Jericho yelled to himself in the small room he was standing in. From what Britain could tell, he was really pissed about the script he had been given because he was running is fingers through his hair and gasping at whatever he was reading. "All the fucking years I've put into this business and he wants me to do this shit?"

Britain pushed the door open a little and stepped inside. "Now Cupcake, you know anger's not good for your blood pressure." She waited until she saw his head pop up and then she smiled.

"Holy shit." Jericho turned around and his face softened instantly. "Britain? Oh my God, Buttercup…" He engulfed her in a hug that was so tight he swore he could hear her back crack.

John stood in the doorway with a confused look on his face. "Buttercup?" He said to himself laughing.

Jericho pulled away to look her over. "You look great. I haven't seen you since…"

"Since I left. I know." She couldn't take her eyes off of him. She missed him so much. Jericho was truly one of the best friends she had ever had. "I'm sorry I didn't make it to your wedding. But I just…I hope you and Jess understood."

Jericho nodded. "I know, if you could've, you would have been there." He led her over to a chair and sat with her. He couldn't believe she was sitting there with him, five years later. "So how ya been? What are you doing here?"

"I'm good now." She knew right away that he would understand what she meant without her having to explain, but now came the tricky part. Jericho had always been overprotective of her, but if nothing else, she valued his opinion. "I'm here with Dave…Batista?"

He paused and then lifted his eyes and smiled. "He's a good guy."

"Yeah?" If Jericho believed it, then it had to be true. She couldn't even remember all of the advice he had given her in the past that she didn't listen to. His opinion meant more to her now than it ever had before.

He touched her hand and nodded. "Yeah. He hangs with some shady characters, but he's pretty decent." Jericho looked up at John and smiled. "Look, I gotta go do this bullshit, but are you gonna be around?"

"I'm here for four days I think? Maybe we can have lunch or something."

Jericho leaned over and hugged her again, followed by a kiss on her cheek. "I can't believe how good it is to see you. I'll catch up with you later." He walked past John and raised his brow. "Asshole."

John turned back to Britain amazed. "I ain't never seen him act like that in my life. What the fuck you got on him and how can I can use it?"

Britain laughed as she walked down the hallway with Cena. She instantly liked him. "I can't give away all the secrets…well maybe, if the price is right."

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"Good Lord." Britain gasped as she entered the Evolution locker-room. She didn't know where to look first. All she knew was there were big men with big muscles, standing there half naked. It was like a smorgasbord for her eyes and she knew she was going to start salivating and dry humping at any moment. She felt like she was in a wild porno fantasy.

She had only left John for a few minutes to catch the beginning of Jericho's match from the monitor just behind the stage. When she returned to the room, she had no idea that they would all be dressed for their in ring appearances.

Randy had the best thighs she had ever seen in her life. Dave's thighs were lickable, but Randy's made her groin ache. She didn't even know what she wanted to do to them, but she just wanted to touch them. Her eyes darted to Hunter. She didn't like his face, mainly because he was scowling, but he had an ass on him that she could bounce a quarter off of. And then there was John, with that chest and that Jockey underwear hinting from the waist of his baggy shorts. She had already started to build the perfect man in her mind, how she wanted to take a little piece of them all and create her Adonis. And then Dave walked out of the bathroom.

Britain thought she was going to have a heart attack. She touched her hand to her forehead and closed her eyes. "You need to wear those everyday. Nothing else, just those. Every. Fucking. Day." Those little trunks…how she wanted to rip them off with her teeth.

Dave felt himself blush, especially when he heard John laugh. "You like these?" He was turning on the sex appeal, not that it had ever been turned off. He walked over to her and stood his half naked self directly in front of her. "I got 'em in all different colors."

She nodded rapidly. "Oh yeah. I want these on you tonight." She walked a circle around him, appraising how each one of his muscles rippled, how his butt fit in those trunks so well. She couldn't resist running her hand across the tattoo on his back and casually let her hand continue to roam around him until she was standing in front of him again. She motioned for him to lean down to her and she licked his earlobe before she whispered in it. "You are gonna get so laid tonight."


	10. Power Struggle

**_This chapter contains sexual content._**

Power Struggle

Britain stood in front of the mirror in the bathroom eyeing herself cautiously. She wasn't sure if Dave was a lingerie-man or not. He didn't seem to be when they were together before, but, she had to admit, she looked damn good in the black ruffle, fly away baby doll outfit she was wearing. The embroidery and eyelet designs on the cups covered her nipples, but the mesh material made the rest of breasts visible. The satin tie in the front was the only thing holding the two parts of the garment together, which she made sure to tie loose so she could shed it as quickly as humanly possible. Under her breast bone, the front flew away to create the perfect V. The matching black ruffle panties were so small that she had to turn them around several times to figure out which way was the front, but the thing she loved most about them were the bows on the sides. It was something about being able to untie her underwear that turned on her. She looked good. Even if Dave didn't like lingerie, he would have to be a homosexual not to enjoy these.

She quietly turned out the light in the bathroom and opened the door. As soon as she saw him her breathing changed. She had spent the better part of ten minutes getting sexy for him; all he was doing was lying on the bed flipping through channels and he was the sexiest thing she had ever seen. She couldn't tell if he had those wrestling trunks on, but she prayed that he did…not that he needed them. The way the sheet was covering his lower half was enough to do it for her. She was happy just to stand there and watch the muscles in his arm move as his thumb hit the buttons on the remote. But as soon as he looked up at her, she wanted to rip that lingerie off as fast as she could.

"Wow…is all of that for me?" Dave asked with a smile. He loved the contrast of the black mesh against her creamy skin. The garment matched her hair, which was down by the way, just the way he liked it. He usually liked the chemise type of lingerie…a simple short silky dress, but this outfit was nice too. It showed skin and covered up _everything _he really wanted to see. He could get hard just watching her bend over; she really didn't need to dress up for him, but he would be lying if he said the thought of removing it didn't excite him.

Britain smiled and walked closer to the bed. "Do you like it?"

"Turn around." He commanded gently, admiring how little her panties were. He couldn't wait to see what they were covering in the back because they damn sure weren't covering much in the front. "I like that a lot." He found it sexy the way she knelt on the bed instead of sitting down first. She watched the seductive way she crawled over to him and placed both hands on the either side of the bed next to his head before swinging her leg over his body and looming over him.

Britain studied Dave's face and smiled before she lowered herself on to his hard body. Although there was a sheet separating them, she could still feel every inch of him. She had hoped that he would take the lead, but it appeared that that wasn't going to happen. She had never really enjoyed being the aggressive one in bed; she preferred the passive-aggressive approach. She was the partner that allowed her lover to feel like they were in charge, while she was actually controlling the way things went by the sounds she would make or the looks she would give. Dave was trying to flip the script and she wasn't having it.

She kissed him softly, remembering everything about his lips at that time. He was holding back. He would only allow the tip of his tongue to play with hers, but judging from how tightly the arm around her back held her still and the other hand on her head massaged her scalp, she knew it was only a matter of time before he gave in. Britain smiled as she opened her eyes and studied his expression. "So what do you wanna do?"

Dave could still feel the soft way she allowed her tongue to trace his bottom lip as he tried to speak. "It's kinda hard to think with you licking my lips like that." His voice was a deep whisper that he tried his best to control.

"Sorry. I don't know what to do with my tongue…it has a mind of its own."

A soft chuckle came from his throat. "Oh, I can give you something to do with your tongue." It was just that little bit of sarcastic humor that he knew she would appreciate. Even if she did have rules, he knew she would enjoy a good pun when she heard one.

She smiled and rested her head on his chest. "That's for you to do."

"Oh, I will."

Britain lifted her head and looked at him confused. "Speaking of tongues, what happened to the tongue ring?" She had noticed it was missing earlier when they kissed, but she didn't want to say anything in front of his friends. It was one of the highlights of her memories…it helped seal the deal when she agreed to come; and now it was gone.

"I took it out." He answered defeated.

Britain didn't grow up a daddy's girl for nothing. She had a whine that would make any man want to give her the world. "Why?"

"My daughter, Maddy, asked me to. Her exact words were, 'Daddy, you're too old to have a tongue ring'." Dave made a face and changed his voice to mock that of his thirteen year old. "So I did."

"And you listened to you her? Are you crazy?" She couldn't believe it. This thirteen year old had _the power_, now only if Britain could convince this child to use her powers for good. "She's a child. She obviously doesn't understand the importance of a tongue piercing."

Dave raised his brow with smirk. "And what exactly is the importance of it?"

"It's important because I liked it. I really, really liked it."

He could watch her pout for days. The way her lip poked out ever so slightly and the soft way her brows came together, creating soft lines on her forehead melted his insides. He could almost imagine what she looked like as a little girl. "I'll let you in on a little secret." He put his hand on the sides of her face and held it just above his. "It wasn't the tongue ring...it was the tongue."

She kissed him again, but still nothing. His hands wouldn't travel below her head. Although she enjoyed feeling his hands playing in her hair and the way he held her face, she wanted to feel those same hands a little lower on her body.

"What?" There was that pout again. He knew exactly what he was doing. If she thought she could just waltz back into his life and take advantage of him, she was right, but he would make her sweat it out a little.

Britain tried to figure him out. She knew it was a game, but she wasn't quite sure what the game was or what the rules were. "Why won't you touch me?" She held a devilish smirk on her face, letting him know instantly that she could play with the big boys.

"I am touching you." He raised his eyebrow sarcastically.

She ran her tongue over her teeth and made a clucking noise. She nodded her head as she figured out exactly what he was doing. "Are you playing hard to get?"

Dave shook his head and smiled. "No…I'm playing hard to want."

_Checkmate_. The first rule in seduction is never to give away your game plan. Her brain worked like a well oiled machine and then a slow smile crossed her lips. "Oh really?" She rolled off of him and sat up. "You seem to think that I need you." Britain made it very clear by the tone of her voice that she didn't _need _a man, ever.

He turned his head toward her, not quite sure of what she meant by that. "Yeah?" He watched as she got off the bed and he was suddenly confused. It was a friendly game of driving her crazy, but it was now taking a turn in the wrong direction. "Where are you going?"

Britain walked over to her bag and found what she was looking for. With a smile on her face, she held up the object and nodded. "I can do this all by myself."

Dave was somewhere between extremely turned on and curious. "You wouldn't."

She returned to the bed and held her head in away to let him know that she was ignoring him. "You think I won't? You _really_ don't know me."

He was right there; a real live man with working manly parts, but she was going to settle for silicone and batteries? "You wouldn't." He repeated in disbelief.

Britain turned to him and smiled. "Watch and learn." If Dave Batista wanted to play games, she was going to show him that she was the mistress of all games. He may have been just as pretty and just as sexy as she was, but she had the upper hand. No one one-upped Britain Weis.

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A human male could only take so much, especially when there was a beautiful half-naked woman in the bed with him, touching herself and not allowing him to partake in the festivities. He listened painfully to the way her breathing changed and the soft whimpers that came from her voice. He watched the gentle way her hands roamed and the speed at which she preferred to bring herself to an orgasm. He had already attempted several times to touch her and each time he was greeted by the same response: "You see with your eyes, not with your hands." He was losing this game and he knew it, but at that moment he didn't care anymore. He would get her back another way.

Dave let his hand cover hers and slowly he removed his competition. Before she could protest, he covered her body with his and kissed her deeply. He could feel her legs wrapping themselves around his hips and the way her hands caressed his back, it was enough to drive him crazy. But in order for his plan to work, he had to drive her crazy first. Dave took Britain's hands and stretched them toward the headboard. He made sure that she grabbed on to it before he would kiss her below the neck.

As soon as he untied her nightie, he felt those offending fingers touch his arm. He looked at her sternly and shook his head. "Leave them up there." He said softly while parting the garment so he could see her breasts.

Britain sucked in her breath as soon as she felt his mouth touch her breast. This man had the power to send chills and electric currents through her body at the same time. She really didn't mean to remove her hands, but she couldn't help it. She had to touch his head and guide him to where she wanted him. When he looked at her again, she smiled like a kid who was just caught with their hand in the cookie jar.

"If you let go of that headboard again, I'm gonna have to tie your hands to it." It was an idle threat and he knew it, but this game was about power and who could drive who the craziest.

Britain bit her lip. No matter what he was doing to her, she couldn't let him know that she was struggling to keep the upper hand. "I might like that."

Dave raised his brow. _Oh shit._ The prospect had infinite possibilities. "You like to be tied be up?" He asked in a low voice studying the look on her face to see if she were serious or not.

The lazy way she let her tongue dance across her teeth told him more than her words ever could. "Try it and see."

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Britain had been tied up with a number of things in her life: handkerchiefs; scarves; and one time a rope, which she wouldn't do again because it left marks; but never had she had her own panties used as her binding. It was interesting; he was a resourceful bastard if nothing else.

"Is it too tight?" Dave asked seriously. He was all for new and fun kinky things, but not to the point where anyone got hurt. He wanted it to be something they both could enjoy without crossing that line of pain or sexual assault. Sometimes, those lines got blurred in the heat of passion.

_Why do you care?_ She knew she liked him, but she couldn't let herself believe that he was as decent and caring as he appeared. Granted, people that tie other people to a bed with their underwear don't really scream 'caring', but, he did seem to care enough to make sure she was comfortable. "No."

"Can you take your hands out if you wanted to?"

She tugged on her binding and found that he had done it loose enough that she could slip her wrists out. "Uh-huh."

"If you want me to untie you, just tell me." He wanted her to know that he meant every word of that.

"It's fine, Dave." She whispered before leaning up to kiss him. She may have been tied to the headboard, but she was still winning this game.

Ten minutes later, she regretted letting him tie her up. She wanted…she _needed_ to touch him. He was right about one thing; it definitely wasn't the tongue ring. She laid there helplessly struggling not to give in to him. He had positioned her legs so that she couldn't move her pelvis and her hands were tied to the headboard. She had no choice but to feel everything he did forcing her to end entirely too quickly.

He smiled when she called his name and felt her body change. He could feel the muscles in her legs stiffen and saw the way her stomach clinched and then suddenly everything went limp. Although he succeeded in his mission, he was far from over.

If he didn't get inside of her soon, she was going to kill him. No matter how much she begged him, he wouldn't stop. She had never been good at multiple orgasms this way, not with direct contact on her most sensitive spot. She knew that number two was going to going to be massive. "Dave, please…"

He smiled up at her and shook his head, after all, she was tied to the headboard…she couldn't stop him. "I wanna do this some more." In his mind he had already won the power struggle, and with a quick glance to the left, he knew exactly what to do to nail the coffin in this casket. Dave eyed the object, formerly his competition, carefully and then decided to turn it on. The look on her face was priceless.

Britain was sure she was going to die from sensory overload. Not only was this object vibrating in her, moving at a delicious pace that he controlled, but his fucking tongue was just as immaculate as it had ever been. If she didn't spontaneously combust when she came this time, it would be a miracle. "Oh you…fuck…" She tried to form a sentence, but it wasn't working. This bastard was good; _really_ good.

Dave watched with child-like eyes as her face took on every emotion. If he didn't know better he would swear she had tears in her eyes. He hadn't heard sounds like that come from her before and each moan threatened to make _him_ end, even though no one had touched him yet. He watched her hands and how they gripped the headboard, opening and closing around the wooden planks. He saw how her eye color changed; they were a pale blue now, not so much grey anymore. He knew what was going to happen next.

"Dave…dammit…" She groaned as she tried to get on top of how much her body needed to release, but it was like trying to stop a dam from breaking; there was no way to control all of that emotion. "You motherfucker…shit…" And with that her body went limp, except for the aftershocks, which she swore would happen well into the next morning.

He was triumphant and his cocky smile proved that point. "That's the face I wanted to see." He kissed his way up to her lips and ran his thumb over the few loose tears that escaped her eyes. "Are you ok?" He would die if he hurt her, that wasn't his intention at all.

She nodded with a smile. "Oh my God. How did you…_where_ did you…shit." That's all her brain could produce. She had the orgasm to end all orgasm; she finally had the one that robbed her of her senses. And while she was still recovering, she felt her body give in as soon as he entered her; his lips on hers was the icing on the cake.

She was even more beautiful then he remembered. He could stay inside of her for the rest of life and be a happy man. How was it that he could have been without her so long? And why the hell did it take him so long to call her after he knew what being with her was like. Dave Batista didn't fall in love. He loved women, but he had never been in love with one. Whether this was love or lust, he was extremely privileged to share it with this amazing woman.

Dave reached up and untied her hands. He wanted to feel her arm around him. As soon as those hands, with their feather light touches, traced his back and shoulders he knew he was in trouble. He hadn't known her that long, but already she was an addiction. He couldn't, no, he _wouldn't_ do without her; the laws of nature forbade it. Everything about her was perfect to him. She had a quick wit and a potty mouth, much like his own. She could be shy and demure or wild and the life of the party. She was fun, young and sassy; she was sexy, smart and beautiful. She could talk to him about anything from cartoons to football. She was well-traveled and cultured, she was a daddy's girl and scared to death of getting close to someone. She was youth, she was beauty, and she was what he wanted.

Britain made the mistake of looking into his eyes. There was an overwhelming sense of fear that clouded her brain. Part of her wanted to just enjoy spending time with him, but the other part knew how detrimental that could be. She wore heart on her sleeve, she was quick to fall for a man and every time it ended with her heart in a blender. She thought she had perfected the art of detachment, but it was something about this man that made her want to try, but trying left her vulnerable. There had been too many times that she had done anything and everything for someone to love her. She had humiliated herself, degraded herself, and completely lost herself, so that someone would think she was special. She knew that the only man she would ever matter to was her daddy, but there was still a part of her that hoped.

Dave noticed how quickly she turned her eyes from his. She was afraid, he could smell it, but so was he. He had so many things riding on his shoulders. He had already put his daughters through two failed marriages and two girlfriends that they hated with a passion. He didn't want to get to close to anyone for fear that his girls wouldn't like them. His career was finally blowing up and he was busier than he'd ever been. He didn't have time to get swept away in a whirlwind romance. His friends were important to him and though he hadn't talked to them about her yet, he knew how important their opinion was. But looking at her face, none of that mattered anymore. _He_ liked her, he liked her a lot, and he wanted to see how far they could go. "Look at me."

She was hesitant, but she did. She watched his face and saw everything he was thinking in his eyes. Jericho said he was a good guy, so didn't she owe it to herself to try? What's the worst that could happen? She'd end up crying and depressed for a few weeks, then go right back to partying like she always did. She could move forward without giving too much of herself. She could hold back just enough that she wouldn't be completely annihilated when it ended...because it always ended. But as soon as his lips touched hers, she didn't know if it holding back was possible.

Dave's movements changed. This was no longer about physical pleasure for him; it was about getting closer to her. His strokes became slower and more concentrated, he relished in the feel of her hands on his body and her lips and tongue dancing with his. How did he go from fucking her to making love to her that quickly? It was just a look, but that look said so much.

In the afterglow, Dave pulled her his chest and breathed in her scent. Her hair was softer than it ever was before, her skin was smoother; everything about her was more pronounced. He didn't catch feelings, not like these and especially not this quickly. He knew it was going to be a challenge, he knew there were things that she didn't want him to know. There was a reason she was always running and he just hoped that what he was feeling was strong enough for him to stay.

Britain may have allowed him to win the struggle in bed, but he was winning the struggle for her heart all by himself.


	11. Something More

_A/N: Hey guys...I know it's been a minute since I've updated this story but there has been so much going on. For one, I am the caretaker of my elderly grandmother and she fell last week. We found out that she had a stroke and she has an anuerism in her head. She's been in the hospital and I've been running across town to make sure she's ok and still being mommy to my 9 year old. I've also started another story that I'm obsessing over, so this one has been taking a back burner. Hopefully, things will go back to normal soon and I can finish it with the same gusto that I did the others. _

_Thanks for the love you've shown so far!_

**_This chapter contains sexual content._**

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Something More

Britain and Dave spooned under the covers. It is amazing how many things can happen to the human body at one time. Britain felt her body tingle from Dave's hands as hands trailed her body, her loins pulsated happily from the feeling of him inside of her, her skin was warm from his solid frame pressed up against her back, she felt protected in his arms that were tightly wrapped around her, she felt a chill on her neck from the trail of wetness he left every time his tongue ran over the smooth skin, she felt dizzy from the sound of his breath in her ear, but most of all, she felt sadness because tomorrow she had to go home. Dave found himself in a similar situation. He was intoxicated by the smell of her hair and her neck kept begging for him to kiss it. The one arm he had under her body wrapped around so he could knead the soft flesh of her breast, his other hand found a home between her legs, relishing in the soft moisture that he caused. Her body was so warm that he couldn't help but to keep himself pressed up against her and her backside felt like it belonged cradled against his pelvis. She was so tight around him that he barely wanted to move; sometimes the slightest movements cause the most intense sensations. But no matter how much he was enjoying being inside her, he knew she was leaving tomorrow and he couldn't get it off of his mind.

Just like when they were in California, time had gone by too fast. Four days was nothing; it felt like she had just had gotten there. They had so much fun together. During the day, when he had to work, Britain mostly hung out with John. Since he was on Smackdown and the company was doing a Supershow tour, John was always around, but most of the promotions were for Raw. John and Britain got to spend hours upon hours together and they got along famously. He was so funny and she loved how ghetto he was. There was no filter in his brain to stop him from saying the first thing that popped into his head.

After spending her days with John, she and Dave would hang out with the rest of his friends in the evening. Britain instantly took to Randy. He was like a little kid, always looking for attention. Plus, she thought it was so cute how entranced Randy was with Dave. She would watch him watch Dave, noticing the way he copied his movements…if she didn't know better, she would think that Randy had a man-crush. Ric was still the gentleman. He held doors open for her and pulled out her chair. Every time she stood, he would stand too. Britain really liked Ric, but she hardly made eye contact with him and he was always looking at her. She kept wondering if he remembered her, but he didn't treat her any differently, so she wasn't sure. Then there was Hunter. She couldn't figure out what his deal was, but he wasn't that friendly. Hunter wasn't mean, but he didn't offer conversation and he looked at her weird. If he didn't like being around her, he didn't have to go out with them every night, but he was always there. Britain was creeped out by Hunter and she decided that she didn't care for him.

And then there was Dave. He didn't mind his friends making fun of him or making a whipping sound as soon as he walked in the room. He treated her like no one else was there with them. She found it adorable how when they walked, he had to touch her in some way; usually with his hand on the small of her back guiding her around the room. He would whisper to her and they would laugh at their own conversations, even with his friends sitting at the table. They would hang out until late night and then when they got back to his hotel room, they would make love. Britain noticed a dramatic change in the way he was with her. At first when they would be together, he moved quickly and forcefully, but now, he was gentle and slow. It was almost like he wanted more than just sex with her; they weren't just two people trying to get off, they were becoming one.

Dave moved slowly inside of her, only grinding his hips against her backside. "I don't want you to leave." The soft breathy sounds that she made the pit of his stomach rumble. "Stay with me."

"I can't. I have to work." She wanted to stay; she wanted more of this. She didn't want to think about leaving, not now anyway.

He pulled her tighter to his chest and groaned when she lifted her leg over his, giving him better access to her. "When am I gonna see you again?" No matter how much he wanted to concentrate on making love to her, he needed to know what was going to happen once she left.

Britain let out a soft moan when he pushed himself deeper inside. "I don't know."

Dave ceased his movements and just held her. "I need to know that this isn't over. I don't want this to be over." His voice remained as soft as hers, but it didn't change the severity of what he was telling her.

Britain bent her arm backward and held his head close to her neck. "Dave, this is impossible. We travel too much and _if_ we were both home, we still live five hours away from each other. Let's just enjoy it now and we'll figure the rest out later."

"It's not impossible. It'll be hard, but not impossible. I don't want this to end."

Her fingers intertwined with his cupping her breast. "I don't even know what this is."

"It's you and me…it's us." He kissed the side of her face. He had been thinking about it all day and he was sure this is what he wanted, but he didn't know if she did. "Is there anybody else?" His heart fluttered when she said no. "I don't want there to anybody else, just you and me." He slowly slid out and then back in feeling her jump in his arms. "Tell me you don't want this to end. Tell me you want us to be together." He whispered in her ear, smelling the scent of her hair and the faint traces of the perfume she wore.

She would have promised him the world if he hit her spot again. As soon as he did, she couldn't keep the truth from him. "I want to be with you. I want you so much." She could hear every one of her rules breaking in her head and it made her chest hurt. She knew she was a walking target now. She had just left herself open for him to completely destroy her. But even if he did, the ride up until that moment would be fantastic.

With his heart and his mind settled, he continued to make love to her and he had never been happier about it.

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Dave Batista heard the faintest sounds of knocking, but he wasn't sure if he was really hearing it or if he was dreaming. Truthfully, he was too comfortable to move. He was tired, incredibly warm, and there was something soft ticking his skin. In the back of his mind, he knew that he was so comfortable because Britain was beside him. Her small body was pressed against his, her soft hair was touching him and reminding him of the silk blanket he use to have. There was no need to open his eyes because he didn't want the moment to pass.

"Look at this bitch." The sound of John's voice was grating on Dave's nerves. It was too early to kill him...that would mean getting out of the bed. Instead, Dave slowly opened his eyes and tried to focus on his friend. "GQ, get your ass up."

Why Dave had given them a key to his room was beyond him, but it was something they always did. There had been several occasions where they would all go out and get completely ripped; giving each other the keys to their rooms ensured that they would all make it back to safety. Plus, it also spared any of them the task of babysitting when the drunkest ones would wake up in the middle of the night praying to the porcelain gods.

"Why?" Dave's voice was a cracked whisper. He didn't want to wake up Britain, not that she would wake up anyway. Plus, he hadn't quite convinced his vocal cords to work yet.

"Bro…it's already six o'clock. Hunt's pissed; this is the second work-out you almost missed." Randy stood next to John with his arms folded. This wasn't like Dave, he _never_ missed a workout. In fact, he was usually the one dragging Randy and John out of bed.

If he could've skipped he would have, but he knew he'd never hear the end of it. However, there was a larger part of Dave that was willing to risk it. He could still hear the way Britain talked in her sleep and that made him want to stay.

_Dave was somewhere between sleeping and waking up. Britain kept tossing and turning, but more than that, she was talking in her sleep. He was spooned against her and held her, mainly to keep her still._

"_Dave..." She whispered. She had been dreaming about him, but her dreams weren't very settling._

"_Hmm." Dave didn't even know where his voice came from. He couldn't open his eyes, but he was sure he heard someone calling his name._

_Britain pulled his arm tighter around her and tucked his hand under her cheek. "Don't go."_

_He opened his eyes to see if she was really talking to him and he leaned back to let her move. She managed to wiggle around until she faced him and then she buried her head against the solid wall of his chest. _"_Stay, please…" She never opened her eyes, but the soft sound of her voice was somewhere between desperation and sadness. _

_Dave inspected Britain's face, noticing how her brows were brought together and her sleep was disrupted by painful dreams. He did the only thing he could; he kissed her on her forehead. "I'm not going anywhere." He could feel her relax next to him and he wrapped her tighter in his arms._

Dave nodded and pulled the covers up over Britain before he swung his legs over the side of the bed. For the first time in forever, he totally understood why she hated mornings. He would have loved to sleep in late with her, especially since she would be leaving that evening.

"Put that shit away man." John said in disgust as Dave lifted his naked body out of the bed. "Don't nobody wanna see that shit first thing in the fuckin' mornin'."

Dave was too tired to beat John's ass, instead, he turned fully toward him and put his hands on his hips. "You can get the fuck out of my room."

Randy shook his head. "Hunt said we can't come back without you. So wash off the stink from last night and come the fuck on."

John and Randy waited by the door while Dave was in the bathroom. They felt like peeping Toms being in there while Britain was asleep. But if nothing else, it was their little way of making sure that Dave didn't get back in the bed with her. It only took a few minutes before Dave resurfaced, washed and dressed, but again they had to wait as he looked around the room to get all of this stuff.

Britain wasn't asleep, but she sure as hell wasn't opening her eyes. Her eyes didn't open this early in the morning...ever. But if nothing else, it was her chance to hear what he said about her when he thought she wasn't listening. She couldn't help but to think the previous night had been a mistake. What if he was setting her up for a hard fall? He couldn't be _this_ wonderful.

"So? How was it?" John asked leaning up against the door. If they had to wait, he wanted to be entertained.

"How was what?" Dave replied putting a towel in his gym bag.

Randy laughed as he looked around the room. He picked up Britain's panties off the floor and twirled them around his finger. "This."

Dave looked up and immediately snatched her underwear from Randy's hand. "That's none of your business."

"Come on man…she's fucking hot."

"Get out." Dave said sternly opening the door for his friends. "I'll be there in a minute." He turned back toward the bed and made his way to her face. He took a moment to look at her, she looked so peaceful. Gently, he trailed her nose with his index finger and smiled when she scrunched it up in annoyance. "Hey."

Britain's eyes opened with a flutter and a lazy smirk came across her face. "Hi."

"I'm going to the gym. I should be back in a couple of hours." He made sure to keep his voice soft, he knew that she was half asleep and she could care less about what he was saying. "When I get back, we can have breakfast."

Britain nodded. _What's with him and fucking breakfast_? For three days, he made her breakfast and she prayed that he would leave her alone about it on her last day there. "Can we have naked breakfast?"

Dave smiled. "Of course. It's a tradition." He leaned over and kissed her lips softly before standing up. "Get some sleep."

She raised her hand, which dropped back on the bed immediately. At six in the morning, her body didn't respond the way she wanted it to. She smiled inwardly and wrapped herself in the blankets, while feeling herself give in to sleep.

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"It was two fucking workouts, what the fuck's the problem?" Dave didn't like to be yelled at and he most certainly didn't like to be told what to do. "I'm usually the first guy here and the last one to leave. It's not like you couldn't do this shit without me."

Hunter wasn't saying much, he was just being a prick. "Look, you've been slipping since you came back from your vacation. I don't know what this girl is doing to you, but I don't have time for fucking slacking."

Dave noticed how quiet the others got. It's not often that Hunter would go off on one of them, but when he did, Dave never stood for it. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means, the last time I checked, you worked for me. Your contract says that you have to maintain a certain look and a certain weight. Fucking some chick doesn't constitute as a workout." Hunter sat down on the weight bench and looked over at Dave with hard eyes.

Dave ran his fingers through his hair and growled in frustration. "Well the last time I checked, I was a grown ass man and I don't need your permission for shit. I'm here aren't I? I did the fucking workout."

"This is why I don't like bitches to travel with us. You get your whoring done on your own time, not mine."

Dave had just about enough of Hunter for one morning. "Fuck this." And with that, he left the gym. He had no idea what Hunter's problem was, but at that moment he didn't care. He had a beautiful woman waiting for him at the hotel and not even Hunter was going to ruin that for him.

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Britain swore she was either going to cut off her nose, or break Dave's fingers. But even though it was annoying, she loved the way he woke her up. It was always the same delicate trace over the bridge of her nose sending a tickle all the way to her brain. "Is it three o'clock yet?" She didn't open her eyes, she knew it was him.

"Three? What happened to your eleven o'clock rule?"

"It got pushed back because you woke me up earlier." She smiled when she felt him kiss her cheek. "You stink."

Dave chuckled and kissed her cheek again. "Well how about you take a shower with me? Then we can have breakfast."

She shook her head in disagreement. There was no way in hell she was getting out of the bed this early. "How about you take a shower and then get back in the bed with me. Then we can wake up at three and have breakfast?"

"Or I could a take a shower and give you a few more minutes to sleep before I call room service." He nodded when she did and made his way to the shower. There was really no point in delaying it; she wasn't getting up, no matter how badly he wanted her to join him.

Dave was surprised to see that Britain was already awake when he got out of the shower. Granted she hadn't gotten out of the bed, but at least her eyes were open. He couldn't recall her eyes being more beautiful than they were first thing in the morning. "Well, look who decided to wake up."

"Yup…and I ordered breakfast already too." She sat up on the bed, pulling the sheet around her body. "I didn't know what you wanted, so I ordered one of everything on the menu." She couldn't help but to notice the look on his face. "What's wrong?"

Dave shook his head. He didn't want Britain to worry about the shit that Hunter said. But no matter how he tried to hide it, it was burning him up inside. This was the first time Hunter had ever acted like this. Nobody ever said anything when Stephanie, Hunter's fiancée, traveled with him, or when Ric would bring his wife, Cheryl, on the road with them. Britain wasn't even traveling; she just came to visit while he was in Georgia. It was one fucking state and all of the shit he had to do this week, all happened in Georgia. "Nothing. I was just thinking about some stuff."

"Well don't. I don't like the look on your face when you think." She flashed that award winning smile and laughed when he poked his tongue out. She watched as he walked across the room to answer the door. That towel…what she wouldn't give to be that towel. It was amazing that it stayed wrapped around his body. Even the way the towel didn't meet at his thighs, because of their girth was hot. "Damn."

"What?" He said with a smile as he pushed the breakfast cart into the room. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

Britain scrunched her nose and waved her index finger in a circular motion. "You have too many clothes on. This is supposed to be naked breakfast, remember?"

Dave looked down at his towel and then up at her. "This? You want me to take this off?" He loved the look on her face when she nodded. "You want me to dance for you too?"

"Hell yeah." She watched with a semi-straight face as he started to gyrate his hips as he removed the towel. When he twirled it over his head and then threw it at her, she couldn't stop laughing. "Oh, that's so cute…Little Davey has no rhythm." He most certainly had the cutest pout she had ever seen. She reached over to the night stand and pulled a few dollars out of her purse. She balled the money up and threw it at him. "Encore! Encore!"

"I ain't giving you shit. You laughed at me." Dave turned around and began putting the plates on the table. "I told you, I was too big to dance."

Britain crawled out of the bed and walked up behind him. She let her face touch his back and breathed in the scent of Dove soap. "You won't dance for me again? Well fine…I won't dance for you either."

He turned around confused. That wasn't in the bargain, but he'd have to change her mind at a later date. Right now, he was starving and even her threatening not to dance for him again or Hunter's attitude weren't enough to make him ignore his stomach. "So, we're going to Virginia next week."

Britain knitted her brows. "I'm going to Paris." She didn't care what he said, this was impossible. Their jobs had them on different sides of the country at any given time. Even if she could pick the jobs she wanted to take, was it worth this much trouble? "I have a show in Miami in two weeks…"

"We'll be in Miami the week after next." He knew the gods were smiling on him. All he needed was a break and he could do the rest.

She was apprehensive, but what the hell. "Would you like to come to my show?" She knew it was shot in the dark, but it was worth a try. She needed to know if he was serious about getting to know her.

"And see you work?" There was a big smile on his face making him look like a little boy. "Of course." He had never been to a fashion show and he was admittedly a little curious. Most metrosexual men were curious.

"Really?" She never had a boyfriend who gave a shit what she did much less wanting to see her work. "I can get tickets for your friends too and I'll make sure that you sit close to the runway. I have a lot of friends that I'm sure would find John and Randy attractive."

"They'd get to hang out with models? They would love that."

She pouted. "Just make sure _you_ don't love it."

Dave shook his head as held up his fork with a piece of cantaloupe on it. That seemed to be her favorite fruit, since she always stole it from him at breakfast. He watched the way her lips closed around his fork and she softly chewed the sweet melon, causing him to smile. "I've only got eyes for one model." He meant every word of that. He loved the way her eyes got paler when she blushed. She was beautiful.

This was the moment of truth, she was about to break her biggest rule. "When you come to Miami…you could stay at my place…if you want." She didn't want it to sound like she hoped that he would, but she did. She wanted him to get to know her and to see how she lived. So far, he only knew limited things about her, but not the color of her bedspread or the motif of her bathroom. She wanted to share those intimate details with him. "You don't have to."

Dave looked confused. Why would he not want to? "What about your rule?"

"Well you've already broken about half of them, what's one more?"

"I'd love to stay with you." This was going better than he had hoped. Now he had to find a way not to die from anticipation over the next two weeks. "So…I have a signing today, but it should be over by three. You want to come with me?" He hated the fact that he had to work on the day she was leaving. He wanted to spend every minute with her while she was still there. Even if he would still have two hours with her when he got back, it wasn't enough.

Britain shook her head animatedly. She hated promo stuff. "No. I'm having lunch with Jericho today. I haven't really gotten to talk to him."

Why was it that he was always pouting around her? He poked out his bottom lip and slumped his shoulders. "Okay. Well at least I don't have to worry about John trying to take you to a strip club or something."

"Hey! I had fun yesterday. I learned some new moves…maybe if you're lucky, I'll show you."

Two hours today wasn't enough and two weeks from now would seem like forever.

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Britain was greeted by Jericho's smile as soon as she walked in the restaurant. "So what's up, Buttercup?" Jericho asked once she was seated. He hadn't been able to get her off his mind. There were so many questions he wanted to ask her, there was so much he needed to say. But looking at how happy she was, he didn't want to ruin it.

"You really have to stop calling me that. It's a horrible nickname."

Jericho laughed and shook his head. "You have always been my little Buttercup." He tickled her under her chin as he spoke. "Don't think because you're famous now, you can change on me. I've been following your career; you're really getting out there. But don't forget, I know you…you can't hide from me."

"I wish you didn't know me. Not like that, anyway." There was sadness in her voice. They had been through so much together. Jericho knew her, probably better than any other man in the world. She was closer to him than she had been to some of her girlfriends. He had seen her at her best and been the shoulder to cry on at her worst. But no matter how fucked up she was, he never left her side. He never judged her; he was always her friend. "I didn't know Ric Flair worked with you. I didn't know Dave knew him."

"You really like Dave, huh?" It wasn't like Britain to doubt herself. The Britain he knew was strong willed and cocky as hell. But even though she was tough on the outside, she was a big pile of mush on the inside. Never once though did she doubt herself or show any regrets. "It was a long time ago. I'm sure Flair doesn't even remember. He's old…maybe he has Alzheimer's."

She laughed. Jericho always had a way of calming her fears. "He said he doesn't remember me, but how could he forget? What if he tells Dave?"

"Tell him first." It wasn't that hard. If nothing else, everything they'd been through together taught him that honesty was the best policy. "Britain, you were young…"

"And I still became the company whore."

"That's not how it happened and you know it." He wasn't going to spend their reunion dredging up the past, especially not when the past was as ugly as it had been. Chris happened to look up and smiled. He was saving this as a surprise for her and he hoped that it would pan out. "I forgot… I was supposed to be having lunch with people today. So I invited them along. I hope you don't mind."

Britain smiled. "No, I don't mind. You know I love a party." She felt two hands cover her eyes and suddenly her heart stopped. She had no idea who this was, but it was someone she was familiar with. It wasn't until she heard him whisper in her ear that she squealed like a little girl. "Eddie…Eddie!" Britain jumped up from the table and flung herself into his arms.

"Niña…it is so good to see you." Eddie Guerrero was like her older brother. He was everything to her. He was smart, funny, cute and he always took care of her. When she left before, the hardest thing she ever did was not say goodbye to Eddie. "I called Jericho a lying bastard when he said you were here."

She couldn't wipe the smile off of her face if she tried. "Oh my God. Sit down." She sat next to him and wrapped her arms around his and put her head on his shoulder. "I can't believe I have my boys back! I missed you guys so much!"

They talked over lunch and things were like there were before. Neither Jericho nor Eddie had changed. They still were as crazy as they always were and had her laughing hysterically at their stories. "So, the word around the campfire is, Dave Batista has this hot young girlfriend. I assume that's you?" Eddie nudged Britain on the arm and smiled at her.

She tucked her hair behind her ears and shrugged. "I like him. Chris says he's ok." She looked at Eddie with pleading eyes. _Please don't tell me he beats puppies or something horrible like that._

"He is. I like him. He was going through some stuff awhile ago. But he came out on top. He's a good catch." That did it. Both of the men she trusted thought Dave was a good guy. She could let down her guard, she could let him in. But she would still need to tread lightly; good guys always hurt the most. "You deserve to be happy."

As soon as Britain looked up, her heart sank. He looked exactly the same, only he wasn't wearing his trademark smile anymore. Just when it seemed like the day couldn't get any better, he had to prove her right. "Rey…"

Rey Mysterio was stoic. He hadn't seen Britain in five years and the anger and pain he felt as soon as he laid eyes on her was a fresh as the day it happened. He didn't say anything to her; instead he looked at his best friend. "Is _this_ why you invited me to lunch?" His voice was cold and distant. Eddie should've known better.

"Come on, man. Sit down, have some food with us." Eddie pulled out a chair and motioned for Rey to sit.

Rey stood there, glaring at both Eddie and Jericho. He couldn't believe his friends set him up. "I lost my appetite."

Britain wanted to crawl away and die. Pretending that the past didn't happen wasn't doing anyone any good. Eddie and Chris could make her laugh, but it didn't change anything. She was still, Britain Weis, the talk of the WCW locker-room. Everyone who was affiliated with that company at the time knew her. They knew _about_ her. She couldn't escape her past no matter what she did, or how much she changed. "Rey, I'm sorry…I didn't know they invited you."

"Look, all that shit's over and done with. Sit down, man. Come on." For Jericho to play an asshole on TV was one thing, but the real man was always soothing and calm. "You guys are friends. Let that shit go."

Rey shook his head. "_Were_ friends. Pinche punta." _Fucking whore._

Britain watched him walk away from the table and her heart sank. She wasn't going to cry, but that hurt. "See…nothing's changed." If Rey, one of her best friends, couldn't forgive her then what hope did she have that Dave would understand? This wasn't fair, she and Dave had just gotten closer, but the past has a way of always rearing its ugly head. She decided in that moment that it was best if he never found out. Now, all she had to do was talk to Ric Flair to make sure that didn't happen.


	12. Welcome to My World

Welcome to My World

Britain had to meet Dave at the hotel at four o'clock; they would go to her house to drop off his stuff and she had to be at hall by six. The show started at eight and she should be finished by ten. Then there was the after-party, which wasn't mandatory, but if she wanted to continue to work, she had to be there. And once all of that was done, it would just be she and Dave and there would be **no **interruptions. It was to be a busy day, but the rewards that night outweighed the hectic schedule.

Anxious as all hell, Britain cleaned like a crazy person. She had already scrubbed the bathroom twice, but now she was going back in for the third time. She didn't know why she felt like she needed to impress him, she never felt like that before. But then again, Dave Batista had never been to her condo. She couldn't remember the last time she invited a guy she was dating to her home; she needed to give her place an extra thorough cleaning.

Once she finished the bathroom for the third time, she returned to her bedroom with the vacuum. It had to be perfect, she needed to have even vacuum lines on the carpet or she would never get to the hotel by four o'clock. As she plugged the appliance into the wall, she couldn't help but to smile at the conversation she had earlier with Dave.

"_What are you doing?" He asked at the sound of things being shuffled around. He turned the volume up on his phone to try to get a better listen._

"_I'm cleaning my room. What do you think I'm doing?" Britain sat on her bed, shredding pieces of mail that she should have gotten to months ago. In all fairness, she was hardly home as it was, so the mail could wait._

_Dave chuckled. "You don't have to clean for me. I want to see the real you…slob and all."_

"_I'm not a slob. It's just I haven't been home in a while and the place needs a once over. Besides, my bedroom is the only thing that really needs cleaning. You can't even walk in here right now. I've got shit all over the place from my last trip."_

_Dave looked around the airport at the sign showing the flight numbers. His flight wasn't due to take off for another hour. "I know what this is. You're trying to hide the My Little Pony toys and the Hello Kitty bedspread, aren't you?" He laughed when she scoffed._

"_What am I, a child? You have no idea what my room is like."_

_Dave closed his eyes and imagined her bedroom. "Sure…I bet it's pink and very girly. You probably have a white canopy bed in the middle of the room and white fluffy carpets. You have a bookcase that has all of your stuffed animals from when you were little and a curio with a Barbie collection in it…right?"_

"_Fuck you, man. First off, I've never played with Barbie and I don't know the last time I've even held a stuffed animal." Britain looked around her room and smiled. "You're in for such a shock. Trust me. My room is definitely me; it says more about me than any other room in here."_

"_I can't wait to see it." Dave sighed. "I'm gonna get some food; I'll see you in a few hours."_

She vacuumed in record time and smiled at the finished product. Her condo looked like the model they showed to prospective buyers. It was immaculate; there was nothing else to do. Britain sucked in her breath to settle the butterflies, grabbed her keys and headed out the door.

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Dave looked up with a huge smile as soon as he saw Britain walk through the revolving doors. She looked like it was just another day in Miami. She was wearing a very, very short cut off denim skirt and a blue tank top with matching blue flip-flops. Her hair was pulled up into a bun and on the top of her head were a pair of oversized sunglasses. She was talking on her cell phone and smiling. She tossed her keys around in her hand totally ignoring everything and everyone around her. He wondered how she could be so calm when she was doing a fashion show in front of fashion big wigs, designers, the press, and every other who's who in a matter of hours. But as soon as she spotted him, none of that mattered anymore. That smile was enough to make him forget that she had to work; all he could think about was spending countless uninterrupted hours with her.

Britain closed her phone and made her way over to the lobby. She smiled when Randy and John stood up to greet her. "Hi." She said to John, accepting the warm hug he pulled her into.

"What up B?" John smelled her hair and instantly closed his eyes. Although he was attracted to Britain, she wasn't really his type, but there was no way he could deny that she was intoxicating. "So you doin' the damn thing tonight?"

Britain nodded while hugging Randy. "I'm so glad you guys are coming."

Randy kissed the side of her head. "Are you shitting me? There are gonna be half naked models there right?"

"I guess."

"Oh we'll be there." Randy smiled as he watched Britain stand in front of a pouting Dave. He had never seen Dave become so attached to anyone so quickly.

Britain studied Dave's face. He seemed happy to see her a few moments ago, but now he was pouting. "And why is little Davey pouting?" It was something in his pout that reminded her of a little boy. He was cute when he pouted.

"Why do they get hugs and kisses before me?" He stood up and closed his eyes when he felt her arms encircle his midsection.

Britain titled her head up toward him. "I was saving the best for last." She would never grow tired of his kisses. Each one was different; each one made her toes curl.

"Thank God. B, please take this whinin' bitch away." John placed his hand on his hips. "If you ain't get here soon, I was gonna have to kick his ass."

For two weeks straight they all had to listen to Dave talk about Britain. They heard about how funny she was, and how sweet, how thoughtful, and all the plans they had made while he was to be in Miami. It got to the point that either wanted him to go early or just shut the fuck up. All of his friends could see it; Dave was falling hard for this woman.

"Here are your invitations and directions. The show starts at eight, so you might want to get there around seven thirty." She turned to Dave who was gathering his bags. "You ready?"

"Yeah." They walked across the parking lot in search for her car. "Why do you strike me as a Volkswagen Beetle kinda girl?"

Britain turned around and looked at him like he had two heads. She had no idea why he had this girly-girl image of her. Sure she was girly, but not _girly._ She was rough around the edges, something that years of growing up in the inner city and having to fight for her dignity brought out of her. As they crossed over a row of cars, she hit the automatic lock button on her truck and smiled.

"A Cayenne? Why the hell do you need a Cayenne?" Dave was impressed. The truck was tricked out. It was silver in color with tattoo graphics on the doors. The inside was butter leather with her initials, BMW, on the head rests. From the looks of the stereo, it was top of the line and the sub-woofers in the trunk proved that point.

Britain shrugged. "I like cars. Besides, I didn't know when I'd get a big boyfriend that I'd have to haul around." She felt herself being pushed up against the side of the truck and smiled when Dave's face was inches from hers.

"Say that again." His voice was low and he could feel her breath dance across his face.

"I didn't know when I'd have a big boyfriend?"

A slow smile crossed his face. "I like the sound of that…boyfriend." If they didn't have somewhere to be, he would have taken her in that truck, right in the parking lot of the hotel, but there would be plenty of time for that later.

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Dave walked behind her as she gave him the tour of her condo. He was completely awestruck. The deep cherry wood color of the hardwood floors in the living room were set off by the two black leather couches, a huge fireplace, a plasma TV on the wall, and a glass coffee table, which housed one book, The Mapplethorpe Photos. He raised his brow at that one, but he'd ask her about it later.

He followed her down the hall toward the dining room, which she admitted to never eating in. Apparently she was never home long enough to have company over, so that room went unused. The dining table was black with a glass top and high back chairs which were already decorated as if she had a party of eight waiting to come over. To the left of the dining room was a chef-sized kitchen. Again he raised his brow when she said she loved to cook. She didn't look domestic, that's for damn sure. But he noticed from all of the silver Kitchen Aid appliances which let him know that she knew her stuff and was excited that she might actually cook for him.

The room off of the dining room was the Great Room. Inside were white wicker chairs, a big screen TV, and the most exquisite view of the Atlantic Ocean. The powder room in the Great room was in a beach motif. And what better inspiration than the view from the window? Her condo was literally on the beach; if he stepped out on the balcony he could probably feel the spray on his face. As they walked back into the kitchen, they turned toward the main hallway; she showed him the master bathroom. That bathroom was her favorite. It was done in white and grey marble with a free standing glass bowl for the sink, a double shower, and the largest claw foot tub he had ever seen. Everything from the pillars to the Roman candles in that room reminded him of those ancient bathhouses he'd read about in history class. She definitely had taste; only he had no idea how much.

The guest room was probably the only room in the house that didn't match. It was simple: a queen sized bed, a TV, two chairs, and a dresser. The room was sandpaper colored and it was peaceful, but had no sense of Britain's flare. She said it was because she wanted her guests to be comfortable. She didn't want to weird anyone out with her tastes if they had to sleep there.

Britain paused when they got to her bedroom door. "Ok…it's Hello Kitty time." She opened the door and laughed at Dave's reaction.

Her bedroom was huge. It was easily the largest room in the house. He guessed that silver was her favorite color because the three of the walls were done that way and the fourth wall was nothing but a giant mirror. The king sized bed sat on a platform that had three steps to take you up to it. There were white satin sheets on the bed and a large comforter. Judging from the height of the mattress, it was a pillow top. She had four dressers and two large closets; apparently she liked to shop. All of the furniture was white and the dressers varied in size and shape. She had a plasma TV mounted to her wall and photos all over the place.

When Dave looked up, he looked back down at her confused. "You're not vain, so what's with all the mirrors?"

Britain shrugged. "I don't know. I knew one day some guy would get lucky enough to make it to my bedroom." The look on his face was priceless. "No, the guy that owned this place before me had mirrors on the ceiling. I liked them, so I left them."

This was going to be interesting, to say the least. The entire ceiling was mirrored and that one wall was too. From pretty much any angle, he could watch them. The possibilities were endless.

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Britain was nervous; she was never nervous when she worked. Of course she always dreaded that she was going to fall off the runway or trip in those impossible heels they put her in, but she was never scared before. It had a lot to do with the fact that Dave, John, Randy, Ric, Hunter, Jericho, and Eddie were all in the audience. If she screwed up, they would all see it. Plus, _what_ she was modeling gave her butterflies. She had purposely not told any of them what the show was. They would find out soon enough.

She wasn't having a good time back stage. To start, she hated make-up and those damn people insisted on caking that shit on her face. Her normal hairstylist was out sick and the woman replacing her had no idea what to do with an ethnic hair type. After what seemed like forever, the incompetent hairstylist managed to pile Britain's long hair on the top of her head and used enough hair spray to drown a small country. It was only for two hours; she could deal with it for that long. She barely made it to the stage door when her spot was called. She steadied her breath and put on a serious face as she headed out.

Randy sat around eagerly pointing out people to John, as if he didn't know who they were. When they came around with the programs, Randy thought he had died and gone to heaven. "Victoria's Secret? Are you shitting me? This is a Tricky Vicky show?" It was all Randy could do not to hump the stage. He turned to Dave and rolled his eyes. "You are a lucky fucker."

Suddenly everyone got quiet when the first models steeped on the stage. The first outfit Britain wore was simple; a white satin night gown. It was short, stopping at her thighs, and had a long robe that covered mostly everything. She walked down, one foot in front of the other, swaying her hips to the music, and paying no attention to her guests in the audience. If she looked at them, she would've messed up. It wasn't until she reached the bottom of the runway and posed did she remove the robe. Her entire back was bare and the nightgown did not start again until way past the small of her back revealing the white thong she was wearing.

Dave couldn't breathe if he tried. He had no problems with what she was wearing, but the fact that she looked that damn good wearing it made him force himself to sit still. He totally drowned out Randy and John's comments. He would kick their asses later. He couldn't get that nightgown off of his mind.

By the time she was up again, she had changed into her second number of the night. This time it was a pink lace chemise that was so short that if she bent over, Dave could see what she ate for breakfast. He instantly felt his pants change shape and he placed his hands in his lap to hide his ever growing erection. "That's the one." He said out loud, causing Ric to look over at him. He wanted her in that outfit…he didn't know how to get it or what size he needed to get it in, but he knew he had to have it.

He watched her silently the rest of the night modeling lingerie, and underwear...and everything else. She was beautiful, she was sexy; she was perfect. She never once lost that edge. Every time she stepped out behind that curtain, she was a pro. He had never been so amazed before. He had no idea what modeling was all about. It was more than wearing pretty clothes; it was bring those clothes to life and Britain did it to perfection.

When it was all said and done, Britain walked over to where they were standing and tried to hide her blush when they applauded her. She was practically tackled by Eddie before she could even get close to them. "I forgot how much I love to watch you. You were beautiful."

"Thank you." Her smile was genuine, almost like a child being praised by a parent. "Did you really like it?"

"Buttercup, no matter how many of these I've been to, you never cease to amaze me." Jericho said hugging her next.

Even Ric hugged her and told her how well she did. She was a little uncomfortable, but she was on a high from the evening that wouldn't go away. And of course, John and Randy could only ask her about the other models and if they would be at the after party. By the time she reached Dave, he had this look on his face that she couldn't place. She felt her heart speed up, what if he was pissed? It wouldn't be the first time that had happened.

"I should have told you before what the show was." She said quietly putting her head down and picking at her nail polish. "I shouldn't have just sprung it on you like that. I'm sorry."

Dave looked at her quizzically. "Why are you sorry? You looked…oh my God. That was amazing."

Britain's head shot up and a slow smile danced on her lips. "Really? You're not pissed?"

"Why would I be upset?" He couldn't mistake the look in her eyes. There was something there that bordered on mistrust and insecurity. "You are absolutely breathtaking." He wrapped her in a warm hug, trying not to stick his chest out at how proud of her he was. "I have never seen anything like that before." He leaned down and kissed her softly. "When we can we get outta here? There were a couple of outfits I can't stop thinking about…"

Britain smiled. "We have to make a guest appearance at a party and then I'm all yours."

"That sounds good to me." Dave quickly gathered her belongings and they all made their way out of the door.

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Their time at the after party was short lived. It the usual for Britain: schmoozing, meeting new designers, taking pictures for magazines. But once that was done, she took on the task of introducing Randy and John to a few of her friends. The other girls were all too happy to meet them. So much in fact that Randy and John each left with a few women before Dave and Britain did.

"Have him at the gym on time tomorrow." Those were the first words that Hunter spoke to her all night. His tone of voice was condescending and he never once looked at her.

Britain raised her brow and looked at Ric who shrugged his shoulders. "Excuse me?"

"You heard me." Hunter sat down his drink and placed his elbows on the table. "We have an investment in him and I don't have time for you shaking your ass in his face and fucking it up."

"That's enough." Ric stepped in. He didn't know what Hunter's problem was, but he didn't like his tone.

Hunter shot Ric a look and then looked back at Britain. "This little thing with you is cute right now…but Dave's about to step up into the big leagues. I'm not letting you fuck it up."

"Ok, I don't know what crawled up your ass and died, but I don't appreciate you suggesting that I'm bringing him down." She never really understood why Hunter acted the way he did around her. But she sure as hell wasn't afraid of him. "I have nothing to do with Dave's career."

Hunter laughed. "No? What was it they use to call you? Eight ball?" He watched as her eyes grew large. "How do you think that'll go over? Enjoy it now because this shit is ending with the quickness. You're low class and you're bad for his image."

How did he know? How much did he know? Who told him? She thought she only had to worry about Ric, but now Hunter too? She couldn't say anything because Dave made his way back to the table. Britain wanted to cry, to scream… to whip Hunter's ass.

"You ready?" Dave asked softly.

Britain nodded. She needed to get the fuck away from Hunter. She completely missed the look on Ric's face; the look that said that he would support her and he would keep Hunter in line. All she knew was that her wonderful day had completely gone to shit. "Yeah. Let's go." She didn't even turn around to say goodnight. She just wanted out.

Dave watched her confused, but followed her silently. He noticed how quiet she was on the way back to her condo. She had barely said two words to him the whole drive. As soon as they got back to her place, he wrapped his arms around her. "Are you ok?"

Britain put on her fakest smile and nodded. "I'm just tired. I think the adrenaline rush is wearing off." She turned away from him and walked toward the bathroom. "I'm gonna take a shower and get all of this shit out of my hair."

Dave stood back and watched her. Something was wrong and he was going to find out what it was.

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Clarity came to Britain in the shower. Hunter wanted them not to be together, no matter what she wanted. She wasn't about to give Dave up, but she sure as hell wasn't going to get any closer to him. Not when she knew that as soon as he found out, he would be out of there so fast it would make her head spin. She could distance herself from him. They didn't see each other that much as it was; she just didn't have to talk to him between visits. She didn't have to get close to him. She could do this…she was Britain Weis.

She dressed for bed in a t-shirt. There was no need in doing anything more, Hunter deflated the wind in her sails. She stood in front of the mirror in her bedroom pulling a comb through her wet hair and looked at his face as he stood behind her.

Dave took the comb and started the task of detangling. "I love your hair." He said softly using one hand to untangle the waves and the other hand to pull the comb through.

"I hate it. I can't tell you how bad I want to cut it." This was going to be harder than she thought. How was she not supposed to get sucked in to those brown eyes and that smile? His arms were so warm and protective, how could she not lose herself in them?

Dave sat down the comb and gathered her hair in his hand. "No…don't cut it. It's beautiful."

"It's fucking heavy and time consuming." She watched him in the mirror and raised her brow. "What are you doing?"

With his tongue positioned on his top lip in heavy concentration, Dave separated her hair into three parts. "I'm braiding it."

"So you know how to braid now?" He was too good to be true. Who was she kidding? She couldn't walk away from him if she tried.

"I have…three daughters…" He paused as he spoke because he needed to concentrate. "You don't …have three girls… without…learning…a thing…or two…about hair braiding." He continued the French braid and brought his brows together as he tried to make it perfect.

Britain was shocked. She couldn't stop smiling. He even plaited the ends of her hair. His fingers were so gentle, unlike her mother's who she swore had pieces of her brain wrapped in her tight braids. "You're really good at this."

Dave shrugged, holding up the plait. "I don't really know how to do the ends, so you gotta put something on it." Britain handed him a ponytail holder and watched as he carefully secured his creation. "All done."

That was single most romantic, sincere, heart warming thing anyone had ever done for her. She could feel her eyes tearing at the sentiment. She let him lead her to her bed and climbed in next to him. She was in trouble; it felt too right to be in his arms.

"You were great tonight. I never knew so much went into a fashion show." Dave ran his fingers lightly down her arm. It felt like her head belonged on his chest. He hadn't gotten a peaceful night's sleep since the last day she was there because she wasn't beside him.

"I didn't do anything. I just walked."

"You just brought those outfits to life." He kissed the top of her head. "How do you change so fast?"

Britain smiled. Backstage was a mess. "Well, each model has a booth with a mirror and a chair. They lay out your clothes and each of us has a hair and make-up person. You get dressed, you walk, you come back, and before you get to your station, you start stripping. There's usually someone around to help you get into the next get-up so you can be back out on time."

"Are there guys back there?" He suddenly felt himself get a little jealous. "I mean, they watch you strip?"

"It's so crazy that I don't think anyone notices. I use to hate it when I first started. But now, I don't even realize they're there." She closed her eyes against the beating of his heart. "You wanna know the best part? I get to keep all of the clothes."

Dave smiled and asked excitedly. "Even the pink one?"

Britain raised her head and smiled. "Especially the pink one." She had been dying to be in his arms and kiss him all day. They had the entire night together and no one was going to ruin that. There was no way she was giving him up, not for Hunter or anyone else.

Fuck Hunter! If he wanted to play, she would fucking play. As Britain and Dave made love, she prayed that her decision wouldn't blow up in her face.


	13. Opinions

Opinions

"So Hunter's gonna be really pissed that you slept in this morning, huh?" Britain and Dave sat at the table finishing their lunch. She hadn't been able to get Hunter's threat off her mind. As much as she didn't want to give into it, it was still there.

Dave shrugged. He didn't really care.

"What's his deal anyway? He's kind of a dick." Britain decided she should test the waters before diving right in. She knew that Dave and Hunter were close and she didn't want to come right out and insult his friend.

"I don't know what his deal is. He's not usually like this. Sure, he can be a hard ass at times, but…I don't know. He's getting on my nerves." He didn't want to spend his last day with her talking about Hunter. Dave leaned back in his chair and smiled. "I stand corrected; you are one hell of a cook. I would've never guessed that you were domestic."

"Why? Because I have mirrors on my ceiling?" She couldn't help but to smile. She knew she could cook. Hell, her mom was the best cook in the world, second only to her grandfather. "I can cook anything. Soul food, Italian, Mexican, German…I love to cook. I'm just usually not home long enough to do it."

"I won't think you could cook because you're so young…"

"Age is just a state of mind and you're only as old as you feel." She knew that their age difference bothered him. "Do you have a problem with my age?"

"No…it's just…you're _25_. You're only a few years older than my oldest _child_." When he put it that way, he was suddenly disgusted. If he put it in a timeline, when she was born, he had already started stealing his dad's Playboy magazines and masturbating to them. It was pretty disgusting to think that she was an infant at that time in his life.

Britain folded her hands and looked him in the eye. "If my age bothers you, then you need to tell me now." She wasn't about to extend herself anymore to him, only to have him dump her because he couldn't deal with being older than her.

"It doesn't really. If anything, you make me feel younger." Dave shook his head. "You don't act 25."

Oh, if only he knew. "Dave, I may be 25 in years, but I've lived _a lot_. I've done some pretty stupid things in my life that made me grow up really fast." She could tell by his face that he was interested in what exactly she had done. She wasn't about to tell him. "I'm not one of those Jerry Springer types that whine about having a horrible childhood. That's bullshit. I had a wonderful childhood with two parents that adored me. I had everything: my parents gave me everything, they were always there for me, and they encouraged me to do whatever I wanted. The only reason that we moved to California is because _I_ wanted to model. My dad decided to sell our house and uproot my little brother, so that I could start a career at fourteen. With that kind of support, there's no way in hell I should have ever done half of the shit I have. But everything I've done I take full responsibility for. My mistakes were nobody's fault, but mine."

Dave watched her talk and noticed the sadness in her eyes. She had apparently experienced a little too much too soon. "So why are you so afraid now?"

Britain shook her head. "It's that obvious, huh?" She thought about how she could tell him, without telling him. "I've always been headstrong and danced to the beat of my own drum. And my family has always been there no matter what, but modeling is no business for a teenager. I was traveling around the world when I should've been at my prom. I was wearing make up and lingerie when I should've been on the student council. You see a lot of shit in this business and being attractive makes it that much worse. Guys start coming up to you and telling you that you're beautiful and you believe them. But when you get behind closed doors, they treat you like shit. All my life, I've been looking for someone that loves me as much as my Daddy does; I think that's impossible. I have this affinity for attracting total assholes." She thought about which asshole she could tell him about. "I once dated this guy for a minute and I swear he never talked to me. We looked really good together, so we went out all the time, but as soon as we'd get back to his house, we'd fuck and then he wouldn't say anything. Literally, he had _nothing_ to say to me." That was the way her relationships went. There was always something wrong.

Dave was confused. "Why would you want to be with someone like that?"

"Because I'm afraid to be alone." She had never admitted before. "My parents have been married for forever and they're so happy. I don't think they could survive apart. That's I want, I want to know that when my looks fade, somebody's still gonna love me." Britain pushed her plate away and looked down at the table. "I hear everyday that I'm beautiful, but they're just looks…one day, they'll go away. There will always be someone more beautiful, younger, and sexier; I know that and I'm okay with that. But just once, I want someone to tell me that I'm smart or I'm funny, hell, I'd settle for someone telling me I'm a good person. I'm so much more than what I look like, only nobody sees that. I've done a lot of stupid shit that I know would break my father's heart, but no matter how many mistakes I make… I'm still the same Britain in here." She pointed to her heart.

"Where's this coming from?" The role of father had prepared Dave to be a junior psychologist. His daughters did the same thing when they had a problem. They talked about everything in a roundabout fashion. He knew there was more to what she was saying.

"I just hate being judged. I don't judge…so what gives other people to right to do it?" This conversation was more than about what she had done, it wasn't about what Hunter said or the way the Rey acted. What right did they have to pass judgment on her?

Dave couldn't really relate because he didn't care what people thought about him. _Dave_ was the judgmental one. He was the one that decided if he liked you or not, he could give a shit if you liked him. "Fuck 'em. Why do you care what people think?"

"Because when you don't care you get a reputation. And once you get a reputation, it's hard to live it down. No matter what you do, it follows you. No matter how much you change, people always see you the same." It was easier for Britain to just leave Jericho and Eddie, then to stick around and fight it out. But more than embarrassment, there was pain. So much shit had happened and if she were smart, she would've bailed after the first incident. But she stayed and things got worse, then the worst night of her life happened. Though it was something that she didn't think about, she would never forget.

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Backstage at the Supershow was a lot like it was in Georgia. Everyone was running around; big muscular men were oiled up and glistening and making Britain salivate. She would never get use to this; it was like being in Disneyland.

Britain walked the halls in search of Jericho. She needed to talk to him about this whole Hunter situation. If nothing else, Jericho was always the voice of reason. He had this way of seeing things from an optimistic perspective. She needed him to tell her what she should do. Instead of Chris, she found John mulling over the food cart.

"Hey." She smiled at him, still looking around for Chris. "Have you seen Jericho?"

John shook his head and leaned up against the table. "I think he's going on in a few." He looked at her face, something wasn't right. "What's up?"

"Can I talk to you?" She didn't really know John that well, but he was very honest about everything else. She could think of worse people to talk to.

John led her over to the chairs and sat down. He had no idea what this was about, but he didn't have anything else to do.

"You know Dave pretty well right? What kind of person is he really?" She could tell John didn't understand what she meant. "I know he's really nice and sweet, but what's the _real_ Dave like?"

"Well, pretty much what you see is what you get. He's got some shit with him; we all do. He's really set in his ways. If he has idea about somethin', he ain't changin' his mind. And he's real big on the truth, he don't like bein' lied to."

_Great, just what I need._ "Let's say that I might've done something before that I'm not proud of, how would he react?"

"Depends on what it is." John looked at Britain and tried to figure it out. "You ever been locked up?"

She laughed. "No."

"Alright, ever kidnapped anybody or pulled out a piece in club or somethin'?" Only John would think about holding a club hostage right now.

"No."

"Then I think he'd be cool."

Britain wasn't so sure. "You know how if you do something and you're a guy, you become a hero; but if you're a girl, you become a slut? How do you think he'd deal with that?"

That was a good question. John had never had to deal with that before. Dave always dated the same type of women. They were always safe and the family type. Except for his second wife, she was a business woman and didn't have time to fuck up. "I don't know. But Dave ain't no saint. Don't let that smile fool you, he's been known to be just as raunchy as the rest of us. He's got this moral code that he tries to live up to because of his kids. But sometimes, he throws that shit right out the window."

"What would you do?"

"Me? If he don't know about it, fuck him. I wouldn't say shit…but that's just me. I ain't one for a bunch of drama, so sometimes it's just better to keep your mouth shut." John stood up. "But whatever it is, make sure it don't come back to you. Hunt's decided he don't like you. He thinks you're the reason that Dave's being Dave. If you got something that you wanna keep secret, believe me, Hunt'll be the one to tell him." John looked at the door and nodded. "Look, I gotta go. If you wanna talk some more, I'll be around."

Britain watched him walk away and felt her hope slipping from her. Hunter knew something, but she didn't know how much. She needed Jericho…now. As she made her way through the hall, she distinctly heard Rey's voice. She peered around the corner and saw Rey talking to Eddie. She could hear him talking about her. How dare he? All of a sudden her temper got the best of her.

She didn't knock; she just walked in the room. "You told him didn't you? You told Hunter."

"Britain, I didn't say anything." This was the first real thing Rey had said to her in five years. Had Britain heard the beginning of the conversation, she would've known that he was asking Eddie for advice on how to apologize. He had just been hurt and angry, but he didn't want that to come between them any longer. All she heard was her name and him say that he couldn't get it out of his mind.

"You listen to me you self-righteous little bastard. I'm sorry you got hurt, but it wasn't my fault and you know it." She could feel her eyes water. This argument was five years in the making. "I made a mistake Rey, but that shouldn't have changed our friendship. I didn't even do anything to you. You shouldn't have been there, I'm sorry you saw that; but I'm not going to apologize for who I am or what I did."

"Britain…" Eddie tried to stop her. She needed to listen. He knew how she could get.

"No Eddie. I need to say this." She fixed her gaze on Rey. "What is it Rey? Are you still mad that you didn't get to fuck me too? I swear I didn't know you had feelings for me, but that doesn't give you the right to hold it against me. I haven't been this happy in a long time; I really like Dave. How dare you try to fuck that up? I bet you didn't even tell Hunter the whole story did you? You just told him that I'm a whore, right? Well fuck you."

Britain walked out of the locker-room and didn't look back. She totally misread that entire scene. She was scared, she was hurt and she lashed out at the one person she could blame. She couldn't stop the angry tears from rolling down her face. She had to leave. As soon as Dave found out it would over anyway, so did it matter?

"What's wrong?" Why did he have to coming around the corner when she was trying to leave? Dave's face was full of concern for her.

"Nothing. I'm going home." She stiffened when he ran his thumb over her tears. "Don't…I don't belong here." Britain looked up at Hunter and rolled her eyes. "Are you fucking happy now?" She ran out of the arena before Dave had a chance to stop her.

He couldn't leave. He had a job to do. He looked at Hunter and narrowed his gaze. Hunter put his hands and shrugged. Britain was gone and that's all he cared about. He really hadn't planned on saying anything anyway, but his plan worked. He got rid of her without getting his hands dirty.

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Dave made it Britain's condo right after the show. He tried the handle on the door and was surprised it was unlocked. He walked around looking for her and found her in her in the bathtub trying to soak away whatever was bothering her. He watched her dunk herself under when he walked into the room.

From under the bubbles, she prayed she would just get sucked away down the drain and never have to explain it to him. But when she resurfaced, he was still there, kneeling next to the tub. "Hey." Dave reached over and wiped the bubbles from off of her face. "What happened?"

Britain shook her head. "Nothing. I just remembered why I haven't been around the whole wrestling circuit for so long."

"You wanna talk about it?"

Again she shook her head. "No."

Dave shrugged as he stood. He removed his clothing without being invited. "Move up." He instructed and stepped into the tub behind her. "You could boil a lobster in this water." Hot baths were always good, but damn.

Britain laughed. She hadn't even been paying attention to it. She leaned back against the wall of his chest and closed her eyes when she felt his arms around her. "Why are you here Dave?"

"Because you're here."

"Your friend doesn't like me. He wants me gone." This was so far beyond Rey and Hunter at this point. It was now a woman running from her past, looking for any excuse to leave.

Dave kissed her hair then leaned his head against the back of the tub. "I don't really give a fuck what Hunter wants. He's pissed with me about some other shit and he's blaming you for it. He'll get over it."

_Hunter didn't tell him? _She didn't know if she should. Chris would've said to tell him. But John said don't. Maybe she should just leave well enough alone. "I don't want you to get in trouble because of me."

Dave's laughter came from somewhere deep in his chest. "First of all, I'm not in trouble. Hunt thinks because his wife is Vince's daughter that he has magical powers. But Vince hates Hunter. So it doesn't matter what Hunter says. Secondly, I'm a grown up. No one tells me who I can and can't see."

"Are you sure you want to do this?" She never had a man put her first. She really didn't know how to deal with that? "I don't want to make your time at work uncomfortable."

"If I didn't want to see you, would I ask you to come home with me?" He looked around her to see her face. "I want you to come home with me and meet my kids."

Whoa…she wasn't expecting that one. "I don't think that's a good idea." If he truly had a moral code because of his children, she was last person that should be around them.

"You don't want to meet them?" This wasn't how it was supposed to be. He really cared about her and he wanted to share with her the three most important people in his life with her. He wanted to girls to meet her and to see if they liked her, so he'd know if they stood a chance at having anything. "Look at me."

Britain turned around in the tub so that she was facing him. She put her legs over his and scooted up. "I would love to meet your kids. But I think that you should only introduce your significant other to your children when they're really significant. It's not fair to kids to do that." What she really wanted to say was she didn't want to meet them for fear that she would love them and when he found out and left, not only would she grieve him, but his children too.

Dave touched her face and moved the wet hair behind her ear. "You are significant to me. My girls are excited to meet you. My daughter Madison worships you. When I told her I knew you, she ran upstairs and got a magazine with you in it. She told me everything about you." He smiled thinking about how excited Maddy was.

"You talked to them about me?"

Dave nodded. "You're important to me. I want you to meet them."

Everything in her brain said no, but her heart won that argument. Reluctantly Britain nodded. "What if they hate me?"

"They're gonna love you." He replied. _I think I'm starting to._

Britain laid her head on his chest. This was getting harder and harder. The more she tried to pull away, the closer to him she wanted to get. Why did he have to be so wonderful? What she needed was a reason to run. She only hoped that his kids could be that reason.


	14. First Impressions

First Impressions

"I can't believe you hung these up." Britain tried to reach up from her position to grab her sandals off of the wall. Apparently Dave _really_ loved those shoes; so much so that he had hung them over his bed.

"No…don't move." Dave commanded while trying to catch his breath. There was something about making love to Britain that was so much more than physical; even in the afterglow, he never wanted that feeling to end. If she moved from off of him, the warmth of her body would go away and he was definitely not allowing that to happen. Besides, he liked those sandals just were they were.

Britain was still straddling him, lying on his chest; she could still feel him partially inside of her. It didn't matter that they weren't having sex anymore; she liked the feeling of being that close to him. His body was sweaty and for him being so muscular, he was surprisingly soft and comfortable. She couldn't resist kissing him. Even if he was trying to talk it didn't matter; his lips were moving and they should be moving on hers.

"This is nice." It had been ages since he had a woman spend the night in his bed. Dave's home was his sanctuary. It was the place that his children lived part of the time. His home was his castle and he didn't share that with people. It was his choice. But with Britain, he wanted her to experience what he was like when he was just being Dave.

"It is." Just lying around, making love, not having a care in the world, hundreds of miles from anyone who didn't want them together; it was more than nice. It was perfect. "I wouldn't have thought that your house would be so homey. I thought for sure it would be a bachelor pad."

Dave laughed. He had never had a bachelor pad because for as long as he could remember, he hadn't been a bachelor…well, not in the traditional sense. He had gone straight from his parents' house to being a husband and a father. And even when his marriage ended, he was still a father. He couldn't have the trappings of a bachelor pad; not when he had children that lived with him. "When I bought this house, I had my girls in mind."

The house was a beautiful two story brick Colonial with a perfectly manicured lawn. The outside of the house said well groomed, but once inside Britain knew right away that a man lived there. The house wasn't messy, but it definitely needed a woman's attention. The living room was huge with lots of couches and chairs, but the amount of portraits and trophies which belonged to his children, arranged in no particular order, afghans and the hideous old brown leather recliner, instantly made Britain cringe. The kitchen was large with an island in the middle, surprisingly this room was in pretty good shape. There were four stools, one for each of them to sit around and enjoy a family meal. The dining room was well used; it had housed many family dinners, which was noticeable by the strategically placed spots on the tan rug. The family room was busiest room in the house. Countless family hours were spent in that room playing board games and lounging around on the floor, staying up late watching movies together; the cushy body pillows from their last movie fest still laid on the floor as did the case from the unreturned DVD. The basement was probably the worst; it was definitely Dave's. There were weights and benches, for doing God knows what kind of exercises, all over the place. Britain wanted nothing more than to get in that room for a few hours and organize it. It was obvious from the way he kept his house that he was hardly in it. He was there long enough to make a bit of mess, nothing major and that clutter would keep until the next time he returned home. But even though there were things out of place, the home was warm and felt well lived in; Britain really didn't mind.

Upstairs, there were five bedrooms. Each room had a different motif. Each child had her own style. One room was pink with a white canopy bed. There were countless books and pom-poms hanging from the walls. That room belonged to Dave's oldest. The next room was so covered by posters and magazine covers that Britain couldn't make out the color of the walls. But she did notice the sparkly blue rug on the floor and cut out patterns of clothing. Apparently, Maddy had a flair for fashion. The other room looked more like a hall of fame, than a bed room. There were posters of Michael Jordan, Cal Ripken, Doug Flutie…Alli loved sports. Her room was messy, unlike the others, but she was only 11, so it was forgivable. There was a guest room, but it non-descript. That room was hardly ever used. In fact, at the time that Britain visited, it was a junk room. And then there was Dave's room. He had the largest bed ever created. His room was tan and it reminded her of a hotel. There were so many neutral colors in that room; it bothered Britain. But it was easy to maintain and he didn't have to try to find colors to match. Dave did attempt to add some spice to it by having beautiful coral window dressings. She was sure one of his daughters hooked that up. For some reason she had expected something flashy, but that wasn't him. He wasn't home long enough to be flashy and when he was, he was out with his kids. Dave could care less what color his room was. Britain liked the fact that Dave didn't try to impress her. She was comfortable in his cluttered house, sharing his cluttered life with him.

"Once I started making money, I bought my ex-wife a house down here so my girls wouldn't have to travel to see me. I hated that commute." Florida to Maryland was not a commute, it was a freaking excursion.

Britain rested her head on his shoulder. "How long have you been divorced?" She asked softly still massaging his scalp with her nails.

"Which time?" He asked closing his eyes. "You're going to put me to sleep if you keep doing that."

She didn't care. "Either."

"I divorced Emily 11 years ago." He opened his eyes and looked at the ceiling. "We should've never gotten married to begin with. We were so young…she was 19. I wasn't in love with her, but I liked her a lot. I was in love with her little girl. I couldn't understand how someone could walk away from her. I figured I'd grow to love Em…and I did, but not the way I think you should when you're married. Anyway, before I knew it, we had two more kids and we had become roommates. We didn't sleep in the same bed anymore, we hardly talked and when we did, we argued about money. I wanted my girls to have everything and she didn't have faith that I could provide for them."

"Do you get along now?" The last thing she needed was to walk into The War of the Roses.

He shrugged. "We have our moments. But for the most part, yeah. Our divorce was relatively painless and we agreed to be friends for the girls." Dave loved to play with Britain's hair as he talked to her. "Now, my second wife…big fucking mistake."

Even though he had been married twice unsuccessfully, Britain didn't hold it against him. People make mistakes, they grow apart. She could totally understand that. "What happened?"

"I didn't love her, but she was sick and it's seemed like the right thing to do."

"You're big on nobility, huh?" That's just she needed, a guy with a noble streak. She was probably the least noble person out there. "Do you still talk to her?"

"Angie…no. There was nothing left to say. She got better and told me to leave. I was fine with it." He had never regretted leaving his second wife. He knew they were doomed from the start. "I don't really have great taste in women." He laughed when Britain stopped rubbing his head to pop him upside it. "That's not what I mean. I have this image of what marriage should be…and I keep picking the wrong women to try to make that happen."

Britain shifted slightly, causing a low groan from the man that lay beneath her. "See, that's what's great about me. I don't want to get married. This…" She gyrated her hips a little, "is enough for me."

Dave closed his eyes against the feeling of her moving on him. His breathing started to deepen and he felt the blood rush from his head and head straight to his nether regions. "Are you just using me for my body?"

"Yup." She answered with a smile before kissing him.

"Okay…just checking." He responded, kissing her back.

This was going to be their only night alone together. He was only home for three days and once they woke up, she knew that she would have to share him with his children. It was going to be interesting at best, but for right now, just the two of them alone in his house was enough for her.

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Britain wrapped herself in a towel and headed out of the bathroom. She peeked in Dave's room, but he wasn't there. She didn't really want to go traipsing through his house in only a towel, but she wasn't finished with her shower. She padded her way down the carpeted stairs quietly in search for Dave.

"Hey Dave, can I borrow your razor?" She stopped dead in her tracks when she saw him turn around. Standing directly behind him was a petite brunette with bright blue eyes. She was an attractive woman with childish features, like a round shaped face and dimples. Britain noticed just how deep her dimples were because they showed when she pursed her lips. The woman was easily five foot five, but it was something about the way she stood there with her hand on her hip that made her seem taller. "Oh…I'm sorry."

Dave sighed and ran his hand through his hair. This was _not_ how he pictured this going. "Ahh…Britain this is Emily, my ex-wife. Emily this is Britain…my girlfriend."

Britain hitched the towel higher up on her body and offered a small smile. "It's nice to meet you. I'm really sorry that it had to be like this though."

Emily didn't say anything; instead she raised her brow and nodded. She fixed her gaze back on Dave. Dave closed his eyes and turned to Britain. "The razors are in the medicine cabinet."

"Thanks." Britain headed back toward the stairs. She would talk to Dave once his ex-wife left.

Dave turned around and held up his hand. "Don't."

"I don't believe you. You don't see your kids that much as it is. Then you have the nerve to bring the flavor of the fucking week home? What kind of father are you?" Emily narrowed her eyes. "Do you know how excited they are to spend time with you? Why the fuck would you bring _her_?"

"Don't insult my parenting skills, Em. The girls knew she was coming, they asked to meet her. And don't tell me who can come to _my _house and visit _my _kids." He didn't want an argument, but he knew it was going to happen. Emily always got like this when she found out about him dating someone. "I don't say shit when that fucking guy, Greg, sleeps at your house. I don't wanna hear it."

"How old is she Dave? 18… 19 what?" Emily raised her voice, hoping that Britain heard it.

Dave remained calm; he wasn't going to give her the satisfaction. "She's 25. Does it matter?"

"That's disgusting. She's practically Chase's age." Emily was going to find a reason that Dave didn't need to see Britain. "They're not coming…not if she's here."

That was about as much as Dave was going to take. He could stand for Emily insulting him and calling him names, but what he wouldn't stand for was her trying to tell him that he couldn't see his daughters. "You don't even know her. What the fuck is your problem?"

"The fact that you wanna bring your bitches around _my_ children is my fucking problem."

"I'm not doing this. I'll be there to get them by two. I'll have them home on Sunday." Dave turned around and walked out of the kitchen. He didn't care if Emily let herself out or not, he had to make sure things with Britain were alright.

As he entered his bedroom, he saw Britain standing there with her arms folded. She had the same look in her eyes that Emily did. "What?"

"I don't believe you."

"What did I do?" Why was everyone accusing him of something? From where he stood, he didn't do anything wrong.

Britain could read the signs like they were painted on the walls. "You're still sleeping with her..."

Dave was caught off guard. To his knowledge no one knew about that. "I haven't…not for a few months."

God he was clueless. "Dave…she's still in love with you. Don't you see that?" Britain had spent all of two minutes with Emily and she could tell, why couldn't Dave?

"No she's not." _Is she?_

She had to put this in man language for him to understand. "You've been divorced from her for 11 years and you're still sleeping with her. She's not over you." Britain folded her arms across her chest. "Let me guess, she hates anyone you date. You two only get alone when you come home alone. She's trying to say that you're daughters can't go with us today because I'm here. She's found something wrong with me in the two minutes I saw her and now I'm a bad influence and suddenly you're a bad father. Am I right?"

Dave was slightly impressed by that little parlor trick. He had never thought about that before. He occasionally slept with Emily because he had needs, she was there, she was familiar, and he was comfortable with her. They're marriage was over though; it had been for a long time. He could sleep with her without any emotional connection, he thought she did too. They had been sleeping together on and off for years.

"That's not it…"

"Oh really? Then what is it?" Britain dropped her hands by her sides. That's all she needed, baby mama drama. She knew Dave had to have a fault and this was it. But from the look on his face, he had no idea. "Jesus, you're clueless. You made that woman hate me and she doesn't even know me."

Dave walked over to Britain and wrapped his arms around her. "I'll fix this. Don't worry."

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Britain was a nervous wreck. She had changed her outfit four times before settling on something that she thought was appropriate. _What exactly do you wear to meet your boyfriend's kids?_ Jeans and tank top would have to do. She didn't want to over do it, nor did she want to come off looking like a tramp. This was going to be the most awkward thing she had ever done.

The entire ride over was silent. Dave watched the way that Britain wrenched her hands together, that is, when she wasn't twirling the ends of her hair in her fingers. He thought it was cute that she was so nervous. But he knew his girls; she had nothing to worry about. He smiled when she sighed and reached his hand out to touch her lap. "Stop worrying…it'll be fine."

"Emily already hates me, she's gonna make them hate me too." Britain looked at Dave and shook her head. She was good with kids, hell, most of the time she acted like a big kid herself. But Emily…that was a different story.

"Maddy's already decided that you walk on water. Chase is really polite; she'll try to feel you out first." Dave scrunched his brows for a moment. "Alli might be the only problem. She doesn't really take to people that easily, she's a lot like her mom. But she won't be rude; she just might not talk to you."

"Great." One out of three, she'd had worst odds before. All she had to do was go in there and be herself. _How would I act if Vati brought some strange woman home? _No, she wasn't going to think like that. She was going to be natural and take whatever they dished out. "This is beautiful." She regarded the large Bungalow style house as Dave pulled into the driveway.

Dave nodded as he turned off the engine. He squeezed her hand and gave her a reassuring smile. "Ready?"

"Yeah. Let's do this." Britain hopped out of the truck first and waited until Dave walked up to her.

He grabbed her hand and they started up the walk. Before Dave got to the top step, a small dark haired child practically tackled him to the ground. "Daddy!" The young girl yelled while attaching her body around Dave's.

"Hey Pumpkin." Dave hugged the girl and closed his eyes. He loved his children; it was evident to anyone that saw him with them.

"Oh my God. You're her…you're really here." Madison jumped down from her father's arms, suddenly embarrassed that she was acting like a little kid in front of a guest. "You really do know her." She looked at Dave and smiled.

"Maddy, this is Britain. Britain, this is Madison."

"It's nice to meet you Madison." Britain said with a smile. She immediately fell in love with this child who looked so much like her father. She had the warmest brown eyes and dimples. Even with braces, she was beautiful. And even more beautiful was the surprising bear hug Maddy trapped her in.

"I'm Maddy. Nobody calls me Madison…unless I'm in trouble." Maddy walked Britain into the house with her arms looped around hers. "My mom is pissed." Suddenly her eyes got big. "Sorry. I mean she's really mad."

Britain nodded. She expected as much. "So what else should I expect?" If nothing else, Maddy was an ally. She could tell the two of them would be fast friends.

"Well…Chase is fine. But Alli…she's weird. Just ignore her; we do." Maddy stood in the foyer with Britain smiling as Chase walked into the room.

Britain was memorized at how pretty Chase was. She looked like a child, with her round face and big blue eyes. As soon as she saw the way Chase's eyes lit up when she looked at Dave and vice versa, she knew right away that Chase was his favorite.

"Hey Princess." Dave smiled hugging his oldest daughter. "Been good?"

Chase nodded and returned Dave's hug.

Maddy pulled Britain down to her. "They're sickening."

"Hi." Chase addressed Britain very professionally. She extended her hand for Britain to shake. "I'm Chase."

"I'm Britain." Britain took in Chase's smile and saw those same dimples that Emily and Maddy shared, in her cheeks. She was just so cute that Britain wanted to pinch her, but she wouldn't; not if she wanted her to like her. They stood there awkwardly smiling. Britain looked up when she heard someone running down the stairs. She was taller than the other two girls, but she looked like a lot like Maddy, only younger in the face and minus the dimples. "And you must be Allin."

"Alli." She said completely dismissing Britain and hugging her father.

"How's my Peanut?" Dave addressed his youngest child, kissing her head. Dave noticed the way Alli shrugged and peeked around him at Britain. "Where's mom?"

Britain stood in the living room with Chase and Maddy, wondering what the hell was about to happen. This wasn't going to be pretty. It was awkward enough to be in Dave's hostile ex's house, but to have two of his children staring down her throat made it worse. She was fortunate though, she didn't have to make up small talk because Maddy asked her enough questions to keep her entertained. Just as she was starting to feel comfortable, their conversation was interrupted by yelling from the kitchen.

"She's a child Dave. I don't need her teaching them any more bad habits." Emily walked into the living room and glared at Britain. "Look, this is nothing personal, but I don't want my kids hanging out with just anyone."

Britain tried her best to still her temper and bite her tongue, especially in front of Dave's children. "Well it's a good thing then because I don't hang out with just _anyone_." Britain kept her voice steady and smile on her face, although she was starting to boil inside.

There was a part of Dave's brain that told him to intervene, but there was larger part that made him keep quiet and see how Britain would handle this. He knew Emily; he knew this would get ugly. What he didn't know was that Britain could hold her own.

Britain watched as Emily put her hand on her hip and stepped back as if it was on. Before anything else could come out of Emily's mouth, Britain spoke. "Ladies, if you'll excuse us, I think you're mom has a few things to say to me in private."

Dave was impressed. Britain knew what she was dealing with. He also liked the fact she knew that his girls didn't need to be involved. He threw Chase the keys to the car. "Start the truck for me."

As soon as the girls were out of the house, Britain whipped her head around. "Emily…I don't know you. I'm sure you're a wonderful woman with great kids. I trust that you have only _their_ best interests at heart…but you will _not_ insult me. Understand?"

"I know you aren't coming to _my_ house and trying to lay down the rules." Emily stepped closer to Britain.

"Em…" Dave tried to step in but was silenced by Britain raising her hand to silence him.

"Look lady, I don't want this to get ugly. You don't want me a round your kids …fine. But Dave misses them and he really wants to spend some time with them. You said so yourself; they're excited. Don't take that from them because you're mad that I'm fucking him now." It was cheap shot, but Britain took it. She walked out the house with nothing else to say.

Dave stood in the living room trying to hide his smirk. "They'll be back on Sunday." _So much for first impressions..._


	15. A Family Affair

_A/N: So it's been a few chapters since I've done an author's note. I told Sarah (my editor) that I was going to be fast-forwarding so I could wrap this up, but it doesn't seem to be happening. Everytime I try to move forward, I think of something else that I wanted to get in. _

_I've gotten a few questions about the Maddy/Randy story. If you read my profile page, I explained that I'm not doing it. I'm going to do another installment of this series. It'll be called, A Perfect Circle, and it will have the Maddy/Randy angle that I wanted to do and the Alli angle too. (I promise it won't be a "Fem-slash story" meaning, there won't be gratuitous lesbian sex.) I figured since Perfect talked about Chase and Maintaining Perfection dealt with Maddy, this story will deal a lot with Alli. It'll be a coming of age story and there will be drama. I've already done the banner for it, so if you're interested in what I think Alli looks like, check out my pictures on myspace. Ok, I think I'm done now. Enjoy..._

_xoxoxo Shanny_

_**This chapter contains sexual content.**_

A Family Affair

Britain couldn't remember the last time she'd had so much fun. In two days, Dave had taken them to dinner, to the movies, roller-skating and bowling. It was no wonder that when he went back to work he was always exhausted. Trying to pack a week's worth of family time into three days was nearly impossible. It also contributed to why his girls were so enamored with him and why they could be perceived as spoiled. Although they were doted upon, Britain wouldn't have categorized them as brats. They were well behaved and good natured and she genuinely enjoyed them.

"Come on…you always watch the game with me." Dave pouted at Maddy who kept shaking her head. "What about you?" He turned to Chase who was making a face.

"Daddy, you know I don't like basketball." Chase answered looking at Alli to save her.

"I'll watch it with you." Alli's voice was quiet and she spoke with her head down. She wouldn't ever get use to Britain being there. Anything to avoid spending time with her, she was willing to do.

Dave put his arm around his youngest daughter and squeezed. "That's my girl." He didn't know if Britain could handle Chase and Maddy together, alone. "You're sure you're gonna be alright?"

"Dude, you're only a room away. Go watch your little game…we'll be fine." She smiled at him. "Really…go." Britain watched as Alli and Dave walked into the living room, then she closed the Family room doors. "Okay ladies…now that he's gone…let's dish." She sat on the floor and pulled out a bag full of cosmetic supplies. "And what better way to bond, then over make-overs."

Chase and Maddy looked at each other and smiled. They loved make-overs. In the few days they had known her they both come to really like her, Maddy especially.

"So what do you wanna know?" Chase asked picking up a bottle of nail polish and examining the color.

Britain picked up another bottle and handed it to Chase. "I think that'll look better on you." She then looked at eye shadows and handed them to Maddy. "I don't know. I wanna get to know the real Chase and Maddy. Not that fluffy sugary stuff that your dad knows." She could tell they didn't know what she meant or if they could trust her. "Do you have boyfriends?"

Both girls laughed, then Maddy spoke. "Daddy won't let us."

"Are you serious? That's bullshit." _Wrong thing to say to his kids._ "Sorry…I have a potty mouth." She was happy that they seemed fine with her lack of couth. "You are girls are beautiful; you should be dating by now."

"I wish…but, I won't get a date until I get these braces off." Maddy interjected.

"That's not true. I had braces." Britain smiled thinking about her braces. "Seriously, I had headgear and everything. Just ask my dad. He reminds me all the time of how much my smile cost him. But even with braces, I still had a boyfriend and he was really cute." Britain found that she loved to see Maddy smile. "What about you?" She turned to Chase. "You've got a prom and stuff, right? Do you have a date?"

Chase shook her head. "I like this one boy at school, but he doesn't know I exist. He's a football player and he's really popular and he's so cute. But he won't go with me."

"Why not…what's the problem?"

Chase shrugged. "He hasn't asked."

"So… ask him." Britain said that as if it was the most natural thing in the world.

Chase laughed. "I couldn't do that. What if he says no?"

"Then screw him. What's his name?" Britain was going to help these girls out. They were going to be Dave little angels forever if she didn't step in.

"Josh."

Britain stood up, she had a plan. She motioned for Maddy to join her and made Chase stand on the other side of the room. "Ok, he's popular right? Is he always with his friends? Good. What's the second most popular boy's name?"

"Eric." Maddy answered. "They can't stand each other."

"How do you know what's happening in high school? Aren't you like in Middle School still?" Britain was surprised at Maddy's knowledge of the older kids.

"It's one of those Catholic schools that go from Pre-K to 12th grade." Chase answered.

Britain had to revise her plan, but, that wasn't a problem. "Great…even better. So this is what you do. You and Maddy casually walk up to Josh and his friends. Stop just before you get to him and Maddy you say, 'So Chase…who are you going to the prom with?' And then Chase, you answer Maddy, 'Well, it's between Josh and Eric, but I was really hoping that Josh would ask me.'" Britain then turned her head and gave Chase this look and batted her lashes making the younger girl laugh.

"I can't do that! What if he says no…in front of his friends? I'll die." Chase was mortified. She couldn't ask a boy out.

"He won't say no. If he ignores you, his friends will think he's a chump. If he says no, then his rival gets a shot at you. He'll say yes…trust me." Britain reached over and grabbed a handful of popcorn and munched happily. She had solved the problem of a date. _This parenting stuff is a piece of cake._

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Throughout the evening, Dave could hear giggling coming from the family room. He wanted to know what was going on in there, but he didn't want to intrude, besides, the smell of nail polish was killing him from where he sat. It was a wonder that they hadn't all passed out from the smell in the Family room. "Peanut, you don't have stay out here with me if you don't want to. You can go in there." He watched Alli shake her head. "Britain's really nice. I'm sure she'd like to spend some time with you."

"I don't want to." Alli answered looking back at the television. "Besides, Mommy said that she's too young for you. She said not to get too use to her being around because you'll find some way to screw it up."

Dave wasn't about to tell Alli about her mom. Emily and Alli were like two peas in a pod; they were exactly the same. Anything that Emily said, Alli took as gospel. "Just because Mom doesn't like her, doesn't mean that you can't. I'm not going to force you to be friends with Britain, though."

"You're not gonna make us sleep at her house like you did with Angie, are you?" Alli questioned quietly.

Dave looked at Alli and frowned. She really didn't take to break-ups well. It took a long time for Alli to warm up to people and when they were gone, she took it hard. Even though Alli didn't really care for Angie, she still got use to her being around. "No Peanut, I'm not." Dave hugged his daughter and kissed her head. "I just wanted you guys to meet her, because I really like her."

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"Can I ask you a question?" Chase asked Britain while putting rollers in her hair. "How old are you? My mom said that you're a child."

Britain smiled and tried to think of something pleasant to say about Emily. "I just turned 25 in April."

"I'll be 14 next month." Maddy answered looking up from Britain's toes. "I think my mom's jealous. She still likes Daddy." Maddy recognized the look on Britain's face. She could tell that whatever her mom and Britain discussed in the house wasn't pleasant. "Are you sleeping with him?"

"Maddy!" Chase yelled. It was a damn good question, just not one that should be asked.

Britain thought about it. She wanted to be honest. "It's ok, I don't mind. Yes…I am."

"Do you love him?" Chase asked.

"We've only been seeing each other for a few months. I like him a lot. He's really sweet." It was a lie. Britain knew that she was falling in love with him, but she wouldn't admit it to herself, let alone his children. "I don't want to get your hopes up or disappoint you either…but I really like your dad and we're just seeing where this goes. I'm not trying to come in and take your mom's place or change anything that you have with your father. I'm not even trying to butter you up. I really like you girls and your father and I'm grateful that you're allowing me to spend _your_ time with him."

Chase could appreciate her honesty. "He doesn't date that much. He's had a few girlfriends, but we didn't like them. They were phony. They talked to us like little kids."

"I won't do that. I would like to one day be your friend, that's all." Britain answered. "Can I ask _you_ a question? Does Alli hate me?"

Maddy rolled her eyes. "She hates everybody. Don't pay any attention to her."

"My mom doesn't like you, so Alli doesn't. Even if she did, she wouldn't because of my mom." Chase was the sensible one. She was good at reading people. She continued to roll Britain's hair and she decided to take the plunge. "Have you met John Cena yet?"

Britain smiled. "Yeah…he's funny."

"Chase has a crush on him." Maddy blurted out trying to ignore the glare she received from her sister.

"I do not! Besides, he treats me like a kid."

Britain could definitely tell Chase was seriously feeling John. "John's pretty hot. I could see having a crush on him."

"If you weren't dating Daddy, would you like John?" Feeling out the competition was Chase's other strong suit.

Britain laughed. "No. I don't really like guys like him. I like dark features like your dad's."

"I'm gonna marry Randy." Maddy continued to apply polish to Britain's toes, without even looking up. She said it like it was written in stone. "He's so cute. Just wait; when I'm older, he's mine."

"He's a little old for you, no?" She noticed the defeated look on Maddy's face. "I say, go for it. Randy's really hot. If I hadn't met your dad, Randy would be the type of guy I'd go for. But don't worry, he's all yours." She gave Maddy a reassuring smile before switching positions and starting on the younger girl's pedicure.

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Britain laid on Dave's bed in her pajamas. There was so much that had gone on in one day, she just needed a minute to unwind. "Your girls are amazing." She looked over at Dave and smiled. She would've never imagined that they would be so cool.

"What are you looking at?" He asked her turning out the bathroom light.

"My toes." She held her foot up to Dave so he could see them. "Maddy did a great job. Don't they look nice?"

Dave grabbed her foot and placed a soft kiss on it. "Well, your toes were cute to begin with. And you know what would look great with your toes now?" He motioned toward her sandals. "This color would be perfect with those sandals."

"I'm not wearing those sandals." Britain shook her head and smiled. She loved it when he pouted.

It wasn't like Dave to whine. "Why not?"

"Because your daughters are right down the hall." As much as she wanted him, she didn't want to completely shock the hell out of his girls.

Dave kissed her foot again and poked out his bottom lip. "What if we promise to be quiet?"

"You haven't been quiet before when I've worn those shoes. No."

Damn it, there was a way around this. "Well what about the shower? They can't hear us from the shower." He was good at coming up with ideas.

"I'm not wearing $300 shoes in the shower! It'll ruin them." Britain may have given Dave those sandals, but she wasn't about to destroy a work of art for sex. She had standards, the line had to be drawn somewhere.

"Well what about the dresser?"

"What about the bed?" Why did he want to get all creative when his daughters were there?

"The bed might squeak and you said we have to be quiet. The dresser's on the other side of the room, it's on top of carpet…come on…" He was daring her. He knew it wasn't fair. Dave got up and removed the sandals from their shrine on the wall and dangled them in front of her. "You scared?"

Britain narrowed her eyes. _Damn him and his challenges._ She took off her Tweety-bird pajama pants and started the task of tying the sandals up her legs. She couldn't believe she was going to do this, not that the thought wasn't exciting. Once she had both shoes on, she walked over to the dresser and stood in front of it. "Now what?" She gave him a look that read that she didn't think he had the balls to do it. She was quickly surprised when he walked over to her and began kissing her deeply. There was no real foreplay, just his tongue in her mouth.

Dave could not get enough of her. Before he knew it, he had her undressed and bent over. It was the shoes; it had to be. They gave her enough height that he didn't need to bend down to take her from behind, they made her calves stick out and the way they tied around her legs…excited him to no end. He could watch her back arched like that forever and his hands appreciated the sting from when they connected with her backside as he lightly slapped the flesh. Taking her from behind was incredible, but he couldn't kiss her that way. Her lips needed to be on his.

He turned her around and sat her on the dresser, wrapping both of her legs around his waist. One hand stayed in her hair, holding her head steady so that he could kiss her, while the other wrapped her around her rib, so that his thumb could tease her nipple. With his forehead pressed against hers, he watched them where they were connected and the way her body accepted him matched the soft groans that she made. And when watching became too much, he slowed his movements and took the time to kiss her lips and suck on her neck.

After a while, he no longer thought about being quiet, he could only concentrate on being inside of her.

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"What are they doing?" Alli asked from in front of Dave's door.

Maddy rolled her eyes. "You're not _that _young, stupid." She walked into Chase's room. "Come on you pervert. Don't just stand there listening." She waited until Alli made it into Chase's room before she closed the door.

The three girls sat on Chase's bed looking at each other. They had to have a sisterly meeting to figure out what to do next. "So, do you like her?" Alli asked.

Maddy nodded. "From the sounds of things, Daddy does too. He must _really _like her." She smiled, knowing full well what was going on in Dave's bedroom. "She's nice."

Chase nodded in agreement. "Yeah, she is. You should give her a chance. She's really not that bad."

Alli shrugged. "But Mommy…"

"Mom and Daddy aren't getting back together. I don't care what Mom says." Chase pulled Alli into a hug. For some reason, Alli was the only one who held out hope that Dave and Emily would get back together one day. "They're over, Squirt. Daddy seems happy with Britain."

They all knew that when Dave had them alone, he would ask how they felt about her. "When he asks, I'm gonna tell him, I like her." Maddy spoke up.

"Me too." Chase replied.

"Plus wouldn't it be cool if Daddy married her? We'd have a step-mom that's a model." Maddy was already mapping out the future. "We'd get to go to Hollywood parties and I could meet Brad Pitt…"

Alli huffed. "I'm not gonna tell him I like her." She didn't care what her sisters said; she didn't want Britain to come between her parents getting back together, even if she was nice.

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Dave heard sniffling and he tried to open his eyes to find the source. He looked over at Britain who was sleeping comfortably before rolling to the other side, only to see the tear soaked face of his youngest daughter. "What's wrong Peanut?" He sat up on the bed and turned on the lamp. He would never admit that Britain was right; getting dressed for bed _after_ they made love made sense, especially with three children in the house.

Alli cried silently and pointed to the woman that lay next to him. "I don't want you to get married again. I don't want another step-mom. I want everything to stay the way it is." At eleven years old, the concept of change is hard to grasp and Alli's black and white view of the world made it that much harder. "Mommy's gonna hate it. And she's gonna tell us not to like her and she'll get mad at Chase and Maddy cause they already do. Then she won't let us see you. Don't marry her Daddy, okay?"

Dave was confused. It was the middle of the night and he wasn't fully awake, but he understood that she was upset. He reached out and pulled his little girl up on the bed with him. "I'm not getting married, baby. Nothing's gonna change."

Britain rolled over and opened her eyes. Her heart broke for Alli.

"Maddy said you will. She's gonna change everything and you're gonna keep dating her even if I don't like her because Chase and Maddy do." Alli's cries turned into sobs as she buried her face against her father's chest. "Why can't you just love Mommy? She loves you, _we _love you. Why do you have love _her_ too? She's gonna take you away, isn't she? And you're gonna have kids with her and not love us anymore. And when you get off work, you're gonna stay at her house and not see us, right?"

Britain sat up; she didn't want Dave to answer that. She didn't want to know if Dave loved her. That wasn't part of the deal. "Alli…I don't want to change anything. I'm not trying to take your Daddy away. I don't wanna be your Mom either." She noticed the way Dave tried to stop her from talking.

"Peanut...don't cry. Daddy's not going anywhere." The more he talked the harder she cried. He would do anything for her not to hurt and take away her tears.

"Alli, I love my Daddy a lot. And I would hate it if he had a girlfriend and I would _really_ hate it if he made my mom unhappy because of it. And I probably wouldn't like her very much, just because she wasn't my mom." She reached out and stroked the girl's hair. "But, you know what? I love my Daddy enough to want him to be happy. And if he had a girlfriend that I didn't like, I would try, just because she made him happy. I wouldn't have to like her, but I would still give it a shot. How about you? Can you give me a shot?"

Alli looked at Britain and wiped her face. "I don't want to be your friend."

"Then how about we just be polite enemies?" Britain stuck out her hand toward Alli.

She nodded and shook on it.

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Alli slept between Dave and Britain; this was definitely a day to remember. Neither one could sleep after that conversation. Instead, they looked at each other around the girl sleeping between them. Dave reached out and touched Britain's face. _I love you. _"Thank you." He whispered.

Britain grabbed his hand and kissed his palm. _I'm in love with you. _"Anytime."


	16. Meet the Parents

_A/N: I have had probably the single most shitty week of my life, so what did I do? I decided to write...it's therapy. Anyway, it's not the best chapter I've ever done, but I'm trying to stick to the other stories. _

_I made a mistake in a previous chapter. I said that Emily and Dave had been divorced for 11 years, but that would mean they got divorced when Chase was 6. In Perfect I said they were divorced when she was 8. So in actualality that would make it 9 years. Instead of changing the chapter, I thought I would admit to the mistake. I know this is fiction, but I want to stick to the other two stories as much as possible. Sorry._

_Princess Mel, you said you can't wait until they say I love you and it will be romantic...sorry to break it to you, but I have to stick to how it happened in Perfect. I'll try to make it as sweet as possible though. Ok, enough of this...on with the show._

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Meet the Parents

"Say my name…" Dave could listen to Britain's breathy voice whining his name for the rest of his life. It was something about the way she said "_Davey_", the name that he usually hated, that did it for him. That name would never sound right coming from anyone other than her and especially not the way that she whined it.

Britain closed her eyes and concentrated on what her body was feeling, that and the sound of Dave's labored breathing and the slight gasp he made as he approached his end. "Davey…" It was almost too good to be true…almost.

Dave laid back on the bed and closed his eyes. Trying to catch his breath while still listening to her soft whimpering, was enough to get him hard again. "God, I miss you." He adjusted the phone between his ear and his shoulder as he reached over to get a tissue. Although he wouldn't admit it, Britain had a point; it was nearly impossible for them to have a relationship.

They hadn't seen each other in six weeks…48 days, 2 hours and 14 minutes to be exact. Between him only getting 3 days off a week with his kids and her traveling in Europe, neither had been able to find any time to see the other. They missed each other and phone sex was no longer cutting it; not that either were willing to stop trying though.

"Can you come see me this week?" He was almost desperate in his plea. He was sure he was going to rip up some shit if he couldn't see her soon.

Britain sighed with a soft moan. "No. I'll be in Rome." She rolled over and grabbed her planner.

"What about next week?"

She flipped through the pages and let out a frustrated grunt. "I'll be in San Diego. It's my brother's graduation. What about the week after?"

Dave was almost frantic. He was sure he was going to die from blue balls. "Fuck… Chase's graduating that Friday. Can you come to that?"

Britain was shocked. "I don't know if I should. That's a family thing." She would have loved to go to Chase's graduation, but that should only be reserved for those important people in her life. Granted over the past few weeks, she had talked to Chase a few times. Mainly about how Britain's plans to get Chase a prom date worked and how cute the boy Josh was in his tux. The next call was a little less pleasant when Chase just went on and on about how Dave ruined the prom for her because her date refused to even dance with her after he talked to him. "What about that next Monday? I'll be home."

"I have the girls. Emily's going to a conference with her job. I have a week off."

"I wouldn't mind if they came. I just don't know how Alli would feel."

Dave clinched his phone in his hand, threatening to break it. "Why can't I see you while you're in San Diego? We'll be in Sacramento."

"That's not exactly next door. But…" She thought about how she could phrase it without hurting his feelings. "I have to go to my brother's graduation. That would mean you'd have to go too."

"So?"

"That would mean you'd have to meet my parents." Britain was not ashamed of her parents, but having Dave meet them was a huge step.

"Okay." Dave failed to see the problem. "And after that, you could come to Chase's graduation and spend that next week with us at my house."

When did they become a blended family? When was it suddenly alright for them to spend their alone time together with the other people they held dear? "Wait a minute…back up. You _want_ to meet my parents?"

Dave smiled. "Yeah…why wouldn't I?"

"Because that means you'd have to meet my dad. We'd have to sleep there and you'd be on the couch in the living room and my Dad would be sleeping on the bottom step with a shotgun." She knew her father wasn't that bad, but he had be known to surprise her before. She hadn't even told her parents about Dave.

"Look, he's just a guy. I'm a father too; I understand that it may be a little uncomfortable." Dave was sure he could charm the man. He was charismatic like that. Besides, if his daughter was that free spirited and adventurous, he couldn't be _that_ strict. "So…am I going to see you next week or what?"

Britain thought about it and shook her head. "Yes. I don't believe this…"

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Dave looked around the airport anxiously. He was tired; he literally had finished Raw and went straight to the airport. The flight from Sacramento to Los Angeles was uneventful but hopefully the half hour drive from LAX to her parents' would be.

Being 6'5" normally gave him an advantage, he could easily see over people. This morning, however, it had its downside. It was hard to be as large as he was and not be recognized. He stood in the middle of screaming teenagers and die hard wrestling fans, signing autographs. Every now and then he would pop his head up to see if he could catch a glimpse of who he waiting for.

Britain and X looked around for Dave. He was big enough that they should have been able to spot him without a problem. As anxious as she was to see him, it seemed like there were a million people in her way.

"What's going on over there?" X pointed to small group of people and screaming girls.

Britain couldn't really tell, but she smiled anyway. "Dave." As they made their way toward the crowd, her heart started to race. She waited patiently in the line of young women for her chance to get an autograph from him. "Quick, give me something he can sign."

"I think he's already signed every part of you by now." X shot at Britain rolling her eyes. She could think of a million different things she could be doing besides being at LAX at one in the morning. She handed Britain a piece of paper and a pen and watched as her friend made her way through the crowd toward the man in the middle.

Dave looked up and noticed a smile that made his heart melt. He couldn't stop smiling back at her. She was beautiful. She had on white shirt and long denim skirt, with a split up the side giving him a hint of her leg. "And who should I make this out to?" He gently took the pen from her hand letting his fingers intertwine with hers.

"Britain." She bit her lip when he cocked his head to the side. She was too captivated by his black button down shirt with the top of his chest exposed and those black slacks that hugged his behind so well, to really pay attention to anything else.

Dave smiled and scribbled something on the paper before handing it back to her. He laughed when he saw her expression regarding the dirty little note he wrote her.

"Oh really?" She stepped in closer to him and smiled. She didn't think he would acknowledge her in front of his fans, but she was quickly surprised when he wrapped her in a warm hug, lifting her off the ground. "Well it's a good thing I'm not wearing any underwear." She whispered in his ear and could feel him sigh as he squeezed her tighter. By the time her feet touched the floor, his lips were on hers. She could give a shit about the people watching them. All she knew was she was in Dave's arms and she couldn't be happier about it.

Dave pulled away and took her by the hand. "Can we get out of here now?" He let her lead him over to where X was standing and he smiled at the smaller woman. "X…how's it going?"

"Not as good as it will be for you, but I can't complain." X smiled as she turned towards the exit. "Oh and no stains in my truck."

Dave didn't know what she meant by that comment, but he quickly found out. Britain sat in the back of the Expedition and motioned for Dave to join her. Before he could even think about putting on the seatbelt, Britain was on top of him, straddling him… kissing him. He had hoped to wait until they reached their destination, but he wasn't going to stop her. Hell, it had been forever since he was with her and sex in a moving vehicle was something new for him.

Britain refused to give him time to protest. She had his pants unbuttoned and pulled down enough to do what she needed. She hiked her skirt up and that was all she wrote. She wanted to respect her friend driving, so she tried to keep her noise to a minimum, but with almost two months of no sex it was impossible. It was quick, it was awkward, and it was just a sample. "That was just the first one right?" She asked burying her head in the bend of his neck.

"Wait until I get you alone." Dave breathed in the scent of her hair and knew for sure that being at her parents' house was going to be the death of him. He couldn't have her how he wanted her in her father's house, but it was better than nothing.

Britain looked up at him and smiled. "We're gonna stay at Christina's tonight and tomorrow we'll go to my parents." Britain covered all the bases. She was going to spring Dave on her parents after they had a good night's sleep and would be better at receiving him. Plus, they had weeks of catching up to do before they took that plunge. It was going to be a long night, but it was going to be so worth it.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Britain was truly X's best friend. Anyone who would volunteer their house to two people who went at it all night and did not attempt to be quiet or discrete was more than a friend, she was an angel. However, at 4:30 in the morning, X felt anything but angelic.

She padded her way down the hall and swung open the door to the guest room without knocking. "Look, I can dig that you haven't seen each other in awhile and I'm all for getting your freak on. But it's 4:30 in the fucking morning. Bust a nut and shut the fuck up. Oh…and you have a nice ass by the way." X closed the door behind her and walked sleepily back to her room.

"Thanks?" Dave said loud enough for X to hear him. "Think she's mad?" He crawled back the up the bed toward Britain's face. He could not get enough of her. He was determined to make up for everyday they were away from each other.

Britain smiled happily. She didn't really care if X was mad at her or not. "No…she's jealous. Dry spell…" Now that she was happily involved, she would have to work on getting someone for her best friend.

Dave pulled Britain to his chest and closed his eyes against the warmth of having her next to him. "We should introduce her to one of my friends."

"Hell no. I actually like _some_ of your friends. They wouldn't like me anymore if X got to them." Britain thought about what kind of guys X liked and that would not be beneficial to anyone.

"What about John?"

"What about John?" X and John were the same type of person. They were too much alike, they would kill each other. "He's her type but, besides animalistic sex…that's a no go. She's off the hook."

It was funny coming from her. Dave didn't think Britain was that tame. "You don't know Cena."

"He couldn't handle her. John's rough around the edges, but he's a nice guy." She found drawing lazy circles on his chest comforting. It had so long since she could just be close to a man and actually enjoy talking to him. It didn't matter what they were talking about, it just felt right. "I don't think she'll settle down again. She's more of the one night stand type."

"Yeah, like you were supposed to be, right?" Dave mocked Britain remembering how she tried to escape after their first night together. "You didn't really want to leave that night did you?" When she shook her head, he nodded. "Just like I doubt that that's all she really wants."

The reason behind it all was too long to go into. It was a complicated story, but if Dave was serious about this, he should know. She trusted him. "Don't tell her I told you this, but her boyfriend died a few years ago. She's never really gotten over it."

Dave felt sorry for Christina. He didn't really know her that well, but she seemed nice enough. She was cute, she was fun, and she was friends with Britain. "That's why she needs to meet John." It made perfect sense. Why could Britain see that? "Look, don't take this the wrong way, but she's his type. She's a little loose, she's blunt…he'd be all over her."

"It's more complicated than that." She went on to tell him the reason that X didn't date, the reason that everything with her was so complicated. "She blames herself and she won't get close to anyone because of her."

Dave closed his eyes. It was too much to try to concentrate on this whole Christina being lonely thing when he wasn't even sure what was in store for him and Britain. "You don't have any deep dark secrets like that, do you?"

"No." _You'll never find out._ Britain lied to him with a straight face. It was for his own good, or maybe it was for hers. She really liked Dave; she was falling in love with him. What he didn't know wouldn't hurt him.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Dave sat in the passenger's seat trying to be cool. He refused to let Britain know that he was nervous. He was a father, the same as Britain's dad; he knew what it was like to have a little girl that you only wanted the best for. But thinking about the many different positions he had her father's little girl the night before, made him a little uncomfortable.

He watched the casual way Britain wheeled X's truck through the upper-middle class neighborhood. There were large houses on a palm tree lined street. Every driveway held some big expensive car in it. Britain didn't strike him as a rich girl, but judging from the neighborhood her parents lived in, he was starting to wonder. _What if they're snobs?_ He had money of his own, but Dave grew up poor. He was poor until a few years ago. He worked his ass off to get where was he was now; what if they didn't respect that?

Britain turned to him and knitted her brows as she pulled into the driveway. "Okay…it's like this. I haven't actually told them about you yet." She took in his face and winced. "I know…but it's too late now. Here's what you need to know. My dad's accent is really thick. If you don't understand him, just nod. My mom is the touchy-feely type; don't be surprised if she hugs you a lot. You've got muscles; she might even feel you up." She laughed at Dave's questioning expression. "And then there's my brother. He's a punk. He's a good kid, but he thinks he's a bad ass. You can bitch slap him if you want. I usually do." With the background in place, Britain got of out the truck and waited for Dave on the stairs.

Dave stood back and watched as Britain used her key and opened the door. The house was beautiful and it smelled like cinnamon. The living room had so many pictures in it; he couldn't wait to be alone to study them all. Everything felt so tranquil. It was hard to believe that people actually lived there or that Britain, whose taste different so much from her parents, actually grew up in that house.

"Vati?" Britain yelled through the house. It was something she had done as a child. Instead of walking around looking for people, she would stand in the living room and yell at the top of her lungs. "Mami?" She looked over at Dave and shrugged.

They both turned toward the stairs when they heard footsteps. Dave studied the young man as he made it down to the living room, trying to see any resemblance between him and Britain. He was young, in his early 20s and only a few inches shorter than Dave. He was slim yet muscular and was brown skinned with hazel eyes. Just by looking at him, Dave thought he was probably just a friend of the family. That was until he took in his heart warming smile; that smile was the only thing that reminded him of Britain.

"What's up Evilmean?"

Britain rolled her eyes. "Nothing, asshole." She turned to Dave and shook her head. "Unfortunately, this jerk is my little brother, Croix, but you can call him Asshole. Asshole this is Dave."

"Kannte Vati ihn kam?" _Did Daddy know he was coming?_ He asked Britain and smiled when she shook her head. "Nice to meet you." Croix stuck out his hand to shake Dave's. "So why are you here with my sister? You slumming?"

"Shut up." Britain said slapping him across the chest. She hated the way her brother was laughing at her. "Where are they anyway?"

"Out back. You know how Ma is…she has to have every meal on that stupid patio." Croix led Dave and Britain outside and stood there smiling devilishly as his parents looked up. "Look who I found. And look…she has a guest."

Dave instantly understood that Britain and her brother loved to get the each other in trouble. It made him more nervous about meeting her parents. "Good afternoon." He spoke to the people sitting outside.

"Ma…this is Dave. This is my mother Mia Weis." Britain caught her mother's eyes and tried not to smile. She watched as Mia stood up and hugged Dave.

"It's really nice to meet you." Dave saw where Croix got his color, but Britain got her looks. Britain looked exactly like her mother, only she was taller and lighter. Mia had the same long hair that he had grown to love on Britain. She had that smile that could light up a room and it was apparent that Britain had inherited all of her mother's curves. He had to push that image out of his mind because he was soon thinking about if she looked _exactly_ like Britain without clothes on.

"And this wonderfully handsome man is my Vati…Johan Weis." Britain hugged the older gentleman from behind and kissed his cheek. "Vati…this is Dave, my boyfriend." She held her breath for a minute feeling her father sigh and slump slightly. She knew he didn't want to deal with another one, but this is what father's did.

Johan reluctantly stood up and reached out for Dave's hand. "Dávid."

"It's an honor to meet you, sir." Dave flashed that smile which a received a head shake from Britain. He could finally see how Britain and Croix were related. Although Croix was dark, he looked like her father. And Britain owed those beautiful eyes, that he could stare for days, to her father.

_What's with this sir shit?_ "Ma…I'm hungry." She turned to her mother. "What are _we_ having?" She cut her eyes at Dave and then looked at the chair. He got the hint and had a seat next to her father. As soon as she was inside and the sliding glass door was closed she turned to her mother.

"He's cute!" Mia smiled. "Where did you find him?"

"I know…and he's so nice, Ma." She and her mother worked around each other fixing plates. "I met him at work. I went out with him and didn't think anything would come of it, but he's… Oh my God. And, I met his kids…"

"Kids…as in more than one?"

"As in three." Okay, maybe not the strongest selling point. "But they're really cool."

Mia was going to let that one slide, but she needed to know more about the man than Britain was giving her. "What does he do?"

Strike two. "Wrestles?" She held her breath and waited for the screaming to start. Her mother always had away of cutting through the shit and getting straight to the point.

Mia put down the spoon that she was holding and turned toward her daughter. "Uh-uh. We've been through this before."

"He's not like Marcus, Ma. Dave's a nice guy. I've been seeing him about 5 months already and he's been nothing but a gentleman. He doesn't do steroids, he isn't angry; he hasn't disrespected me in any way. I really like him." Britain pleaded with her mother's eyes. She needed for her understand. "I'm happy."

Mia walked over to her daughter and hugged her. "You're in love." She could read that child like a book, she always could. And if Mia could see it, her father was bound to. "Your Vati's going to have a heart attack."

"I forgot about him." Britain walked outside to do damage control. She sat a plate in front of Dave and sat across from him and next to her father.

"What is it you do?" Johan sat back in his chair and studied Dave's face. He wanted to know what kind of man his daughter was bringing home for him to meet. And right now, that little goatee that Dave was sporting was pissing him off.

Dave took a sip of the lemonade that Mia placed in front of him. "Thank you." He sat down his glass and looked over at her father. "I wrestle with the WWE. I am a former body builder and I got into the business about four years ago."

Johan was unimpressed. He looked over at his daughter, who was narrowing her eyes, then at his wife who was shaking her head. "And where are you from?"

"I'm from Washington, DC…but I live in Florida with my children." It sounded better in his head then it did when it came out of his mouth.

Britain kicked her brother, who was sitting next to Dave, under the table. He hated that stupid snicker of his.

"Children? Hmm." Johan was expressionless, but something about this man did not sit well with him. "What are zer ages?" There was really no need in getting friendly with Dave. All Johan wanted was the vital information before he made his decision.

Dave took a breath. "I have three daughters. Chase is 17, Madison just turned 14 and Allin will be 12 in two weeks."

Johan could feel himself cringe. "And you are?"

"36." Dave managed to squeak out. He had hoped to charm him before answering these kinds of questions; time didn't allow for that.

Johan turned to Britain and looked her in the eye, the same pale blue-grey eyes that he had. "Ich mag nicht dieses. Er ist für dich zu alt." _I don't like this. He's too old for you._ He didn't care if he was being rude; speaking in a language that Dave didn't understand.

Britain kept a smile on her face as she looked at Dave. "Vati…"

"Er hat _drei_ Kinder." _He has three children_. Just in case Britain wasn't keeping score, Johan needed to inform her.

"Nicht jetzt, Vati." _Not now, Daddy._ She wasn't going to let her father ruin this. "I've met his daughters and I like them. They are very sweet."

Johan turned to Dave with a serious question on his mind. "You are not married, with children?"

Dave had lost this battle. "No sir…not anymore. I've been divorced twice." It really couldn't get much worse. He hadn't made the best first impression.

"Nein…" _No._ Johan sat his napkin on his plate and folded his hands on the table. He wasn't the type of man to get agitated, but that didn't mean he was giving the go ahead. "Ich genehmige nicht." _I don't approve._

Britain turned her head to her father and frowned. "Ich interessiere mich nicht. Ich mag ihn wirklich und ich wünsche dich zu ihm nett sein. Bitte Vati?" _I don't care. I like him and I want you to be nice to him. Please Daddy?_

Mia looked at her son and raised her brow. "What are they saying?" She only spoke basic German words. She may have been married to Johan for 25 years, but they always spoke English to each other and for some other things, there was a universal language.

Croix looked between his mother and Dave. "They're arguing." Croix gave them the brief translations, as Johan and Britain went back and forth. "Vati doesn't like the fact that you've been divorced or that you have grown kids. He thinks you're too old for her. She should be more responsible … make better choices…he's mad…young women… men take advantage… Britain doesn't care that Vati's mad…be nice to you…and you wonder why I don't bring anyone home...you don't act like that when Croix brings skanks home. How the hell did I get involved in this?" Croix looked at his sister confused. "Ma, she's being a brat."

"Shut up." She managed to get in before she turned back to her father. "Vati, ich liebe dich aber du wissen, daß ich ihn sehen werde Hammel, den du es oder nicht magst. So konntest du Gebrauch an ihn außerdem gelangen." _Daddy,_ _I love you, but you know I'm going to see him whether you like it or not. So you might as well get used to it._

"Nein!" _No! _Johan slammed his hands on the table, even if this display of authority was only to frighten Dave. The truth was Johan knew his daughter she was headstrong, she always had been. He knew nothing he could say would change her mind once she made it up. "Britannien…" When she dropped her eyes from his, his heart broke. He would give his children the sun and the moon if he could. He never wanted to see any kind of sadness and or disappointment on their faces. Johan held up his hand defeated. "Fine. You come to the ceremony, no? We will have fun." Johan offered a half smile in Dave's direction before he excused himself from the table.

Mia got up to follow. But before she did, she walked around to Dave. She put her arms around him from behind and leaned in to whisper in his ear. "Don't worry about him. He's always like that when it comes to her. You'll grow on him." She patted Dave's shoulder and went in search of her saddened husband.

"You manage to walk in here for five minutes and get everyone all bent out of shape." Croix shook his head at his older sister. "You better have bought me a really expensive present since you'll be getting all the attention today."

"If you don't get out of here in 30 seconds, you won't live to go to your graduation _or_ get your present."

Croix stood up and challenged Britain with his smile. "Loser."

"Dickhead." She smiled back. Britain made her way over to Dave's side of the table and sat on his lap. "That didn't go so well, huh? You wanted to meet them."

He shrugged. It was to be expected, considering. "It wasn't so bad. I can totally understand your father being less than thrilled with you bringing _me_ home." Really, who was he kidding? Britain made him feel young, but the truth is he was old with three teenage daughters. He knew for a fact that if one of his girls would have a brought a man with his past home, he would kill him. This was the first time that Dave had ever considered that Britain was right, them being together _was_ impossible.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Even though Britain would never tell her brother, she was proud of him. He graduated from college, something she never did. They had a great day, her father even made nice with Dave. Mia seemed especially happy to have him around. She was sure all of the people in the restaurant thought Dave was _her _date, the way she laughed at his jokes and kept finding a reason to touch his biceps. But truthfully, Britain wouldn't have it any other way. Her father loved her enough to worry about her and her mother just wanted her happy. Even her brother showed that he was protective of her; they may have argued and made smart comments to each other, but it was the way they showed affection. It was a good day and Britain loved her family more than ever.

She laid on the bed in her old room for an hour after her parents went to bed. Silently, Britain opened her door and crept down hall. She put her ear to her parents' door and made a face at the noises she heard. At least they were occupied. With her brother out partying and with her parents indisposed, she made her way down the stairs only to see Dave sitting on the couch looking at a photo album. "What are looking at?" She sat beside him and peered at the book.

"You. You were so cute." He laughed at the pictures of her and her family when she was a child. "Why do these some of these say Britannien and some say Bretaña?"

She smiled. "The _word_ Britain is pronounced Britannien in German and Bretaña in Spanish, but my _name_ is English. My dad usually calls me Britannien except when he's mad."

Dave closed the book and wrapped his arms around her. "I'm sorry today didn't go so well."

"Don't be. I'm not." She didn't care what anyone thought. If she wasn't going to let Hunter or Emily drive her away, what the hell did he think she was going to let her father do? _He _was wrapped around her finger. "I want you here."

It was a risk and he knew it, but he was willing to suffer the consequences. Dave kissed her and knew right away that he couldn't let her go. So what, he may be older and twice divorced, but it felt right being with her. Even making love to her on the couch in her father's living room with him right upstairs didn't feel wrong. Neither did making love on the kitchen counter, but the laundry room…that might have been wrong. Especially when Croix pulled his car into the garage and entered the house through that door… not that Britain cared.


	17. The Next Level

_A/N: I had a hard time figuring out what to do with this chapter, so I went back to Perfect and expanded on it. Some of the dialogue was taken directly from that story, though not much. I think serves its purpose._

_**This chapter contains sexual content.**_

The Next Level

Dave shifted uncomfortably in his sleep, the pains in his arm and leg were excruciating. Not one week after he had returned to work from his week off with Britain and his kids did he get injured in the ring. It was a simple arm lock...he should have been able to get out of it, but somehow he turned wrong and pain shot through his entire body. He knew that pain well, he had felt it before. It wasn't until he was hardly able to lift his arm and had made it back to the trainer's office that his suspicions were confirmed; he had torn his triceps muscle, again. _I don't fucking believe this._

When he received the news that he would indeed have to have _another _surgery to repair his arm and that his recovery would take months, Dave decided to wait to have it taken care of. After all, he was just given the push for the title; he couldn't just leave to rehab. His career was skyrocketing to a whole new level, he couldn't afford the down time. So he pushed and pushed, then during one of Hunter's extensive workouts, Dave dropped the weight bar when he actually heard something pop and the pain left him unable to move his right arm at all. It wasn't even his decision; Vince heard about it from Hunter and demanded that Dave get his injury tended to, suspending him pending release from the doctor. He had no choice; he had to have the surgery. Now he was in more pain than ever; in addition to the original injury to the triceps… his triceps, shoulder, back and thigh had all felt the effects of the operation.

All in all the surgery took four hours and an additional two hours in recovery before Britain could take Dave home. She didn't want to overstep her bounds, but she didn't want his children to have to harbor the responsibility of taking care of him while he rehabbed, nor did she trust that Emily or his friends could do it, since they were all working. There wasn't anyone else and truthfully, she wanted the job.

Dave's arm was immobile. It was secured to his body by heavy bandages to make sure he didn't move it and his thigh wasn't in much better shape. They had removed a tendon from his quad to place in his triceps, leaving him with a slight limp until that healed. Dave was still pretty much out of it, between the pain pills and Britain forcing him to watch soap operas during the day; he found sleep to be his only escape from the pain. Two weeks after surgery, being in constant pain, being alone with Britain and not being able to touch her, topped with watching soaps, Dave was sure that he was losing his fucking mind.

"Why are we watching this?" He had just opened his eyes to see Britain sitting on the bed next to him and looking at the TV as if it held the secrets to the universe. He still couldn't understand why she watched soaps; she really didn't seem like the type.

Britain never took her eyes off the TV, it was getting too good. "Because General Hospital is must see TV." She said dismissing him. For the last two weeks, they had been arguing over the television constantly. She could only watch so much ESPN before her mind went numb and she really wasn't in the mood for another fight; it was sweeps for crying out loud.

"This is crap; it's fucking stupid." He attempted to prop himself up on the bed and felt himself grow angry when Britain had to help him. He didn't want to be in the bed anymore, he didn't want to be out of work for four months. Dave was a guy that hated sitting in the house, being helpless; it pissed him off.

"Well aren't we Mr. Grumpy McGrumperton, the Mayor of Grumpytown." She rolled her eyes at him. "I can have just as big an attitude as you do."

He huffed and rolled his eyes back at her. "How can you watch this shit? Don't they have the same plot every week?"

"You only say that because you don't know what's going on. See look, that's Carly and she's married to…"

"Lance Bedrock. They all have those stupid fucking soap opera names." He snapped.

"I know _you're_ not talking, _Leviathan_. The people you work with have some pretty stupid fucking names too. At least there's no Doink the Clown on GH." She grabbed the remote to turn up the volume over his whining. "Anyway…Carly's husband's name is Sonny Corinthos. Okay, so Carly got kidnapped by Sonny's enemy Lorenzo Alcazar…he's in love with her, but she's pregnant by Sonny. Anyway, she gave birth in Rick's, that's Sonny's brother, panic room. Only Sonny busted in and shot at Alcazar but really ended up shooting Carly in the head. So now Carly's got some brain thing and she's having dreams about being with Alcazar." She rattled off the story line like it made perfect sense. "Sonny's gonna kill Alcazar when he finds out that Carly's messing around with him. Or he's gonna get his mob enforcer, Jason Morgan, to do it. But then Courtney, that's Sonny sister and Jason's wife, is gonna find out and leave Jason for good this time."

Dave looked at Britain utterly confused. "How can you actually watch this shit on a regular basis?" It reminded him of how his daughters never missed an episode of The Real World. He couldn't figure out how adults watched soap operas; sure his mom did, but she was old.

"I never miss an episode and neither will you. See…" She pointed the VCR, "got the timer set for a week. Plus, there's this new station, Soapnet…they show marathons."

"I'm not watching this." Dave struggled to lean over and grab the remote.

"What are you doing?"

"I told you…I don't wanna watch this."

Britain leaned over and snatched the remote back. "Did I complain when you wanted to watch fucking golf?"

"Yes."

"Well that's different. Golf's boring; besides, there are no hot guys on there." She flipped the station back to her soap.

"Golf's not boring."

"So is that why you fell asleep on it?"

He clinched his jaw to keep his mouth shut. He knew he needed her and he really liked having her there. But he was in a pissy mood and she just happened to be the only one he could vent on. "You've already made me sit through Days of Our Lives and One Life to Live. Are you really going to make me watch this fucking shit too? Are you _trying_ to torture me because I can't do anything about it right now?"

"Yes." She could feel herself getting pissed. "That's exactly my plan, Dave. I figured, why not come all the way back to Tampa just so I could piss you off. I figured this week it's soaps, next week, it's American Idol."

Dave huffed. "God…is this what the next four months are gonna be like? Because this bullshit."

Britain stood up and shook her head. "No…_this_ is what the next four months are going to be like. You keep this shit up and you're gonna be here all by yourself and then you can watch whatever the hell you want." She put the remote on the television and walked out the bedroom, but called over her shoulder to him. "You wanna watch something else… get your complaining ass out of the bed and change the channel your damn self."

Dave had never seen Britain's full temper before and unbeknownst to him, it could match his any day. "Britain…" It was too late. He could hear her going downstairs and the TV in the living room turn on.

He would never admit it, but he found himself watching the rest of General Hospital with great interest. He was intrigued that it had a mafia story line. Plus, the guys on that show were way more manly then that fucking Beau Brady guy on Days of Our Lives. He closed his eyes when he heard the handle to his bedroom door being turned. He didn't want her to know that he actually enjoyed the show and really couldn't wait until tomorrow to see how it all panned out.

"Dave…" She whispered quietly. "It's time to get washed off and take your medicine." Britain touched her hand to the side of his face and smiled when he opened his eyes. She felt bad about blowing up at him, but in all fairness, he didn't have the right to be all shitty with her either. She knew that he was upset about the news that he would off of work for four months, but he didn't have to take it out on her; she was just trying to help.

With his left arm he reached over and touched her hand. "I always wanted a hot chick to give me a sponge bath." He smiled lazily. "I'm sorry I was being a dick."

She flashed that smile that he loved and handed him his pills as she started undressing him for his bath. "You're always a dick…a really big dick." She ran her hand down his stomach and let it land between his legs. "See…that's one of the things I like about you." She smiled seductively and was glad that she could get him to smile back at her. "Seriously, I can handle you being a Snippy Pippy, what I can't handle is this feeling sorry for yourself shit. If you would've just taken care of this when it first happened, it wouldn't be this bad now. You wanna be pissed with somebody? Be pissed at yourself, not me."

That was one of the things he liked about her. She didn't make excuses for him. She told him when he messed up; she didn't hold his hand or coddle him when he was wrong. "I know. I just hate lying around, doing nothing."

"I thought you liked to lay around with me."

"That's different. I could actually do _something, _if I wanted to. But this…I can't stand looking at this room anymore."

She bathed him, like it was the most normal thing in the world. "Well, Maddy's coming over and Ric called. He said he'll try to stop by. Maybe they can convince you that it's not the end of the world. You only have to be off your leg for a few more days so stop whining. Besides, your getting a fucking sponge bath…do you know how many guys would kill to be in your position?" She laughed and never once made him feel like her burden. Let's be realistic, she was giving _Dave Batista_ a sponge bath, there wasn't much to complain about.

"Thanks." He could feel himself drifting off when she was done. He tried to fight the medication, but he was losing that battle.

Britain reached over the side of the bed to grab her ringing cell phone. Noticing the number right away, she took the call in the hallway. She tried to keep her voice low, so she wouldn't wake him. "Hey… yeah I know…about that, I'm not going. That's right...I don't care, they can get someone else to do it...I know, but it's only 3 weeks. I know, Pierre'll be pissed, but I'm sure Heidi or someone else can fit it in...No, I'm taking three weeks; someone needs me."

Dave listened from his bed as Britain rearranged her work schedule. He knew that she had been asked to do a shoot for Guess, which meant tons of exposure for her. But there she was turning them down; and for him, the ungrateful whining asshole, no less. He felt like shit. He didn't want to her rearrange her life to take care of him; especially since _he _was the one that always rearranged his life to take care of everybody else. But there was a side of him that liked the fact that she cared. His last girlfriend wouldn't have done it and his second wife damn sure wouldn't have.

Britain returned to the room and smirked at his glassy eyes. "So…I guess you're stuck with me for the next three weeks."

"Babe…you didn't have to do that." His voice dragged out every word as he tried to stay awake.

"I know I didn't have to; I wanted to." She kissed him softly. "Get some sleep."

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"Hey, Pumpkin." Dave turned over to see Maddy sitting next to his bed reading a magazine. "How long you been here?"

Maddy shrugged. "Not long. Mom dropped me off so I wouldn't have to go to Alli's softball game. How you feeling?"

"I'm okay." He looked around the room at the TV which was blasting some Brittney Spears video. "Where's Britain?"

"Oh, she went shopping. She said she'll be back soon." Maddy started to bob her head to the song and kept flipping through her book.

Dave couldn't place why he was angry. First she said she was staying with him, but when he woke up she was gone. _I'm sitting here, with my arm tied to my body and she's shopping?_ He didn't know what he expected her to do. In all fairness he hadn't exactly been the ideal patient. Was he really being that much of a prick that she needed to escape and have a shopping spree? She didn't seem upset anymore before he went to sleep. What the hell happened in that time?

"Daddy…you okay?" Maddy put down her book as she regarded her father's face.

"I'm fine. I'm just thirsty. Can you get me some water?"

"Sure." Maddy jumped up to do his bidding. She liked the fact that he was depending on her. Chase was out with her friends and Alli was off playing ball; finally, Maddy had time alone with her father since she was the only child that cared to stay with him. She would have repainted the garage if he asked her to.

Dave thought he heard voices downstairs, but it's not like he could have gotten up to see who it was. He laid there helplessly listening to footsteps before the door to his room opened.

"Hey, Champ." Ric Flair stuck his head in Dave's room and smiled. "Maddy let me in. You up for a visitor?"

Dave smiled. "Yeah man, come in." He tried to sit himself up and cursed because he couldn't. "I fucking hate this. It's my arm, not my whole body but every time I try to move I feel it all over. This is bullshit."

"It takes time to rehab an injury. You'll be as good as new in no time."

"I hate this lying around shit." Dave ran his hand through his hair. "I'm fucking snapping at my girl, I'm horny as fuck and can't do shit about it. I'm bored out of my fucking mind." He turned to Ric and made a serious face. "Did you know she's got me watching fucking soap operas?"

Ric laughed. "Could be worse. She could have left your ass here to fend for yourself." He looked around then back at Dave. "Where is she anyway?"

Dave waved his hand in disgust. "I don't know…she went shopping. I'm fucking bored to tears and she's off on a shopping spree." He knew he had no right to be angry with her, but he needed to be angry with something. "So what's going on at work?"

"Some old shit. What's going on with you? What are the doctors saying?"

"Four months. I can't do this shit for four months." He let out a sigh and looked at his friend sincerely. "I'll be lucky if I can keep my girl another week before she leaves my ass, the way I'm handling this shit."

"So, you're getting pretty serious?" Ric knew he was about to overstep his bounds, but he needed to know what Dave knew about her. The tricky part was asking him without telling him anything, just in case he didn't know.

Dave shrugged as best as he could. "I guess."

"What do you know about her?"

"What do you mean?"

Ric searched his brain for a tactful way to ask him. "Well, you've been seeing her for what, six months now? You two seem pretty close. She's spending time at your house with your kids…I know you don't let people around your kids. You told me you met her family. What do know about her? Where do you see this going?"

Dave never thought about it before. He knew he was in love with her, but he hadn't told her, mainly because she was always hesitant to tell him how she felt. "I don't know…she's amazing, ya know. And I have so much fun with her. I can talk to her about anything and I can be myself around her. But, it's like every time we get close to moving forward, she clams up. She's scared of something, but I don't have a clue what it is." He stopped talking and raised his hand. "Maddy!"

Maddy came bolting in the room with a glass of water. "Sorry…I had a phone call. I'll be downstairs if you need me."

Dave sipped his water and rested his head back against the headboard. "She told me about some of the fucked up relationships she's had. I think she's afraid getting too close."

Ric shook his head. If only Dave knew what she was trying to keep from him. "We're all afraid of something. Maybe she found out that you aren't the most forgiving person in the world." He laughed, but there was truth to his joke. "You're in love with that girl. Everybody can see that. Just tell her, let her know that you're not going anywhere. Maybe she'll let you know what she's scared of."

Britain opened the door with a big smile on her face. "Hey…look what I got…" She stopped mid sentence when she saw Ric sitting there and Dave with this intense look on his face.

"We were just talking about you." Ric smiled at her. "I was just telling him to stop being such a grumpy asshole or he was going to lose the prettiest nurse I've ever seen."

She could feel her heart start to beat again. For a split second she thought Ric had said something to Dave about remembering her. "I can be just as bitchy as he is. You should see me when I'm on the rag...not pretty." She smiled and turned her attention back to Dave. "So, I got some stuff for dinner and I got us some Action movies, since you don't want to watch Soapnet with me."

"I thought you went shopping." Dave said confused.

"I did. I went grocery shopping." She shook her head at him. "I'm going to start dinner."

Dave felt like an asshole. Here he had an attitude about her out having a shopping spree and she was only buying food to feed _him._ He had to get over this anger about his situation before he pushed the one woman that he ever loved away.

"Don't fuck this up." Ric said patting his good arm. "I'll check in on you later."

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Britain sat outside on the front steps waiting for Ric. She heard him saying goodbye to Maddy and she knew that now was probably the only time that she would have to talk to him. She didn't want to come off sounding guilty, especially if he really didn't remember her, but she had to know for sure. She had to let him know that Dave couldn't know. She held her breath as he opened the screen and stepped out on the porch.

"I'll see you later." Ric smiled as he walked past her.

"Can I talk to you for a minute?" She stood up and walked him to his car. "I don't know how to say this…you remember me don't you? I mean, you have to."

Ric lowered his eyes and nodded. "I remember you."

Britain Weis was never the type to beg, but she would have if she had to. "You're not gonna tell him are you? I don't want him to know. I really like him and I don't think he'd feel the same if he knew."

Ric was concerned for her. From what he remembered, she wasn't the only one involved. "You gotta give him more credit than that. It was a long time ago. Bagwell was an asshole, you shouldn't have been there, you were drunk and things got out of hand. There were a lot of people at fault that night. You shouldn't take all the blame."

"I left, you know. Jericho and Eddie could only do so much. I stopped associating with everyone because I didn't want them to remember me. But as soon as I walked backstage with Dave and I recognized some of the faces, I heard the whispers…then Hunter…he called me that stupid fucking name. I don't know he found out, I think Rey said something to him." Britain nervously worried the ends of her hair as she talked to Ric. "I mean, you know what kind of guy Bagwell was…that's the kind of guy I always end up with. Dave's so different. I really like him; I don't want to fuck this up."

All Ric could do was hug her. "You don't have to worry about me saying anything. As far as I'm concerned, I never met you before that day Dave introduced us. And don't worry about Hunter. He talked to Scott Hall…that's how he knows. I'll talk to him." He rounded his car to the driver's door and paused. "But if you really feel about Dave what you say you do, talk to him." He offered a smile and got in his car.

Britain stood there thinking. Maybe Ric was right. Maybe she should just tell him. Jericho told her the same thing. But she couldn't, not now, not with him recovering from surgery. It would have to wait. She would enjoy this time with him and be there for him, even if he wouldn't be there for her when she finally got the nerve to say something.

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Dave cursed every step in his house and wondered why he didn't buy a rancher. The sounds of music and laughter filled the kitchen; he had to know what was going on downstairs, while he was upstairs alone. He stood in the entrance way of the kitchen watching Britain spin Maddy around the kitchen in an attempt to teach her how to dance.

"No, no, no…you can't freak to Otis Reading. You gotta move slow, like this...and your hips let 'em sway. You can only dance like this to Otis, Sam Cooke, and Marvin Gay." Britain showed Maddy how to move with the music with a big smile on her face. "Just wait…one day you'll meet a guy…"

"Randy…" Maddy smiled.

Britain nodded. She had forgotten that Maddy was determined to marry Randy. "You and Randy are going to dance off of this and you'll want to hold him really close and move really slow to the music. Then you'll close your eyes and just listen to every word Otis is saying. This is good stuff."

"But it's old."

Britain looked at the teenage girl and shook her head. "Madison Avenue… just because it's old doesn't mean it's not good. They don't make music like this anymore. That crap today, that 'do me baby' music…that won't last. But this…this is baby making music. When you're older and you fall in love, you'll know exactly what I mean by that."

Dave couldn't stop smiling. He was impressed that Britain even knew who those guys were. "She's never getting older or falling in love...and she will _never_ know the meaning of baby making music!" He laughed when he looked at their startled expressions.

"What the hell are you doing out of bed? Get your ass back upstairs." Britain pointed her finger toward the stairs and tried to be strict, but the smile on her face prohibited it.

Dave shook his head defiantly and pulled out a stool at the counter. "It smells great in here." He looked over at Maddy and poked out his tongue because she was laughing at him. "What's for dinner?"

"Fried chicken, string beans, candied yams, and corn bread." She smiled, knowing that he would have a fit because nothing on _that_ menu was healthy. She never understood why a man that big ate the healthy crap he did when she was more inclined to have a feast at McDonalds. "You won't be able to work out for awhile, so why the hell not indulge? You need some food that'll stick to your ribs."

"Why don't you measure anything? My mom always does. She has all these cookbooks too." Maddy said munching on a chicken wing.

_Because your mom can't cook._ "When you cook from the heart, you just know how much to add. Besides, I've been cooking this stuff for years. I don't need to measure anything." Britain looked up when she heard a horn blowing. "That's your mom."

Maddy nodded and hugged Britain. "I'll see you tomorrow." She made her way around the island and kissed Dave. "I hope you feel better Daddy." She leaned over and whispered in his ear. "She's so cool."

He smiled in agreement. Britain _was _cool. Everything she did was cool and she always looked great doing it. Even the way she cooked a calorie laden, artery clogging meal was breathtaking. He couldn't take his eyes off of her. Her hands moved gracefully and expertly over the pots as she stirred the food. Her long hair, which was hanging in a low pony tail, looked like ebony waves curtaining down her back, stopping just a few inches from her tail bone. The tank top she was wearing, stopped about two inches before her jeans, giving him just the slightest hint of the small of her back. Her was waist so small... and even lower, a round, firm backside that he had to resist the urge to run his hand over as her hips swayed to "Try a Little Tenderness" on the radio. She stood barefoot, cooking; she looked comfortable, she looked at home in _his _home. He couldn't stop smiling at the back of her.

Britain turned around; she could feel his eyes on her. "What's that goofy grin for?" She smiled back at him mocking how silly he looked.

He couldn't deny it anymore...he loved her. It was something in that moment, just watching her not doing anything seductive or remotely sexual, just simply cooking him dinner; he realized that he wanted her, he needed her… he loved her. Before he noticed what he was doing, the words were already out of his mouth. "I love you."

Britain felt like her heart was stopping. He couldn't love her, not before she had a chance to tell him everything. The smile she previously had on her face slowly faded and her posture stiffened. She turned her back to him and threw down the towel in her hand. "Don't say things you don't mean." Every time she had been told that before, the guy lied. They used those words to get her to do _anything_ for them. She wanted him to be different, but she refused to be stupid again.

Painfully, he stood up and cursed his body because wouldn't move like he wanted it to. If he had it his way, he would have placed her on the counter and made love to her until she admitted how she felt about him, but he couldn't. Instead he slowly walked over to her and stood behind her. He breathed in her hair...coconut. "I love you. I love everything about you." His voice held a gentle whisper as he wondered to himself what the hell she was so afraid of. With his left arm, he moved her hair over to one shoulder and gently placed a kiss just below her ear. "I love your hair, the color of your eyes, your smile...I love the way you are with my girls, the way you take care of me." He turned her around to face him. He noticed the glassy color her eyes took on; that's when he knew. "And I love the fact that you're in love with me too." He gave her a tender smile, before placing a soft kiss on her lips.

"I think you've had too much pain medicine." She tried to laugh and managed to wiggle away from him. "Come on…dinner's ready."

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Britain took forever to finally come upstairs. She had hoped that by the time she got in his bed, he would have already fallen asleep. No such luck. He was lying there _pretending_ to sleep, waiting for her. He was going to get her to tell him how she felt about him. He watched quietly as she moved around the room and waited patiently for her to take the longest shower in the history of showers. And then when she finally got in the bed and draped her arm across his chest he turned his head toward her.

"I love you." He titled her face toward him and felt her tense up again. "What are you afraid of?"

What wasn't she afraid of would have been a better question. She could have told him right then, but what would that do? Get him to change his mind probably. She had been feeling it for so long. Finally, somebody told her they loved her first. She didn't have to jump through hoops for them to say it either. He didn't ask her for something in return.

"I told you before, I don't fall in love."

"Why?" He studied her face in the darkness. "Talk to me."

"Because, I don't want to get hurt." She said quietly.

Dave couldn't believe it. Britain had managed to tame the Animal, and _she_ was afraid that he was going to hurt _her._ Dave Batista didn't fall in love. He had been married twice and not been in love with either wife. In the soon to be 37 years of his life, the only women he had ever loved that deeply were his mother and his children. He was giving her a place in his heart and _she_ was afraid, how the hell did she think he was feeling? He couldn't stop smiling about it. "I would never hurt you." He whispered to her.

Britain fought with herself if she should tell him how she felt. He could use it to his advantage if she did, but wasn't it worth the risk? She had enjoyed being with him so much. In the six months that they had dated she found herself happier than she had ever been. What she did in the past or what people thought about her didn't matter when he looked at her. Only, she couldn't say it because if she did, she knew how badly he would hurt her when he left; because they _always_ left.

Dave felt her hand travel past the bandages on his chest over his stomach. He wasn't quite sure where she was going with this. It wasn't like he could make love to her, not with his body bandaged the way it was and most certainly not with the amount of pain he had in his arm or his thigh. But when he felt her weight shift and saw her crawl down and kneel in between his legs, then gently pull his pajamas down past his hips and off his legs, he had a pretty good idea. Post surgery instructions be damned! His body responded to her touch on its own and if he ended up in traction because of it, it would be worth it.

She paused, thinking about if she could really do this. This was the last rule that she held on to. She knew she had broken the falling in love rule the first time she came to his house. She was in love with him; there was nothing she could do to stop that. But this…this would be deciding factor. This would tell her if she could trust him or not. Guys in the past had proven to her that they didn't respect her; they had pulled her hair or made it cheap. She had done it a number of times, but because she was asked or it was expected. Never once did she do it because _she _wanted to and with Dave, she did. She closed her eyes as she kissed his leg over the bandage covering his incision. She felt him flinch as her tongue traveled up his inner thigh. Slowly, she let her mouth touch his body and felt him respond instantaneously.

Dave closed his eyes against the soft warmth of her mouth. He remembered that she didn't like to be watched and he didn't want to make this anymore uncomfortable for her than it was. He knew how hard it was for her to let down her guard and deal with breaking her own rules. He never meant to break them all, but he had and the rewards had been tremendous. She was perfect for him. She was everything he wanted. But he still didn't know if she wanted him as much.

Britain might not have done it in years, but if nothing else, she knew she was damn good at it. The sounds that Dave tried to stifle only proved that point. She had him vulnerable; she had him feeling as crazy as he made her feel just by looking at her. This wasn't a game anymore of who could one-up the other; this was about her expressing how she felt without having to tell him.

"I love you…" He managed to say in between his panting. She was going to break him and he didn't mind. Everything about this woman was incredible. He couldn't resist opening his eyes if only for a brief moment. When he happened to look down, he noticed her grey orbs staring back at him.

"I love you, too." She whispered to him before taking him again.

He wasn't sure if it was her words or what she was doing, but he couldn't stop his body from reacting. "Britain…oh God…stop baby…please…" There was no force of nature strong enough to stop it. And he couldn't pull her off of him with only one arm. He tried to warn her, in all fairness, he tried.

But she didn't move; she didn't want to. She wanted him to feel how he made her feel. She took him...all of him, his very essence...his soul. She listened as he gasped and felt his body give over to her. And she stayed there and let him feel unbridled pleasure. She crawled back up to his lips and kissed him softly.

"Now you're mine forever." He smiled at her shy smile and touched his hand to her face. He wanted to make love to her. He wanted to show her how much he loved her, but that couldn't happen. He watched curiously as she let her hands trail down her body until they found that part of her that needed them the most. He watched her, only taking his eyes off hers for an instant so that he could watch her hands. He saw her face explode with pleasure as she neared release. He kissed her, trying to soak up as much of her impending climax as he could. He rolled sorely on his bad arm so that he could take her breast into his mouth...adding to her state of urgency. It was the most beautiful thing he had experienced with her so far. "I love you." He whispered in her ear as she found her release, saying his name as she came.

Even though he was sore and still pissed that he couldn't do the things he wanted to do, Dave slept peacefully next to Britain. He was comforted by her soft hair on his arm, the warmth of her body next to his and the knowledge that she was as in love with him as he was with her.


	18. Troubled Waters

_A/N: Well kids, we're in the home stretch! This one only has one more chapter, which has already been written, and then the epilogue. I can't believe it's done already, but I only wanted 20 chapters and I think I said all that I needed to say._

_Thanks for sticking this one out with me. I know it's hard to read a pre-quel since you already know how it's gonna end up; it was really much harder to write in reverse than I thought it was going to be, but it was interesting. I've started the first couple of chapters of A Perfect Circle but I don't know when I'm going to post that one. I'm starting a Cena fic...Body Image and that's haunting me right now. My goal is to finish this and The Concubine before I post anything new. I only have 5 more chapters of that story and with this one wrapped, I might just finish it. _

_Be Easy!_

_Shanny_

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Troubled Waters

"_What time's your flight?" Dave laid next to Britain, running his fingers through her hair. Five weeks wasn't nearly enough time to spend with her. If he had it his way, he would have gone to Miami himself and packed her up to move her in with him. He couldn't believe that he had finally met the woman that he wanted to build a life with, for no other reason than he loved her._

_Britain sighed and nuzzled deeper in his embrace. "Four o'clock." She didn't want to go, but if she ever stood any chance of working again in her life, she had to make some of the appearances she had scheduled. "Are you sure you're gonna be okay while I'm gone?"_

_Dave smiled. She was still trying to take care of him, even when it was time for her to take care of herself. "Yup. I'll be fine…I'm a big boy now."_

_She laughed and swatted at his chest. "I'm serious. Who's gonna wrap your arm?"_

"_The girls have volunteered to come over everyday to make sure that my arm stays tightly wrapped." _

"_Well, what about your medicine?" She was looking for any excuse to stay. She had gotten use to being there with him and she didn't want that to end._

_Dave kissed her head. "I'm hardly in any pain anymore. I don't need the medicine."_

_She looked up at him and frowned. "But you're back in the gym. Knowing you, you're over gonna overextend that arm." _

_Dave touched his hand to Britain's cheek and gave her a reassuring nod. "I won't, I promise." He felt the way she laid her head back on his chest and wrapped her arms around him. It felt like she was trying to never let him go. He actually liked that feeling. "You're afraid to leave, aren't you?"_

"_No." Britain didn't like to be called out. She got defense whenever she was. _

"_You lie."_

"_So."_

_He squeezed her shoulder and sighed heavily taking in the scent of her hair when he inhaled. He still didn't know why she didn't trust him, but he hoped he could break down that wall soon. "I told you, I love you…I'm not taking that back."_

"_I know." She smiled up at him and kissed his chin._

"_I'll be fine; I promise." It would another two weeks before he would see her again. But two weeks would feel like a lifetime, he was sure of it. "You know…since you're leaving me here, all by myself…alone…" He became really dramatic in his attempt to lay on the guilt, "this soon after my surgery, with no one to talk to or to explain General Hospital to me…"_

"_What do you want Dave?"_

"_And you'll be off gallivanting around the country, seeing sights that I could only dream about as I'm forced to lay in this bed desperately missing you…"_

"_What do you want?"_

"_Getting to hobnob with the likes of God knows who and having the time of your life, while I only get physical therapy…"_

_Britain pursed her lips and turned his face to hers. "David…what?" He raised his brows and smiled devilishly at her. "Oh…you think because I'm leaving, I should give you something to remember me by?"_

_Dave nodded his head rapidly. "The thought had crossed my mind. It would only be fair if you did."_

_Britain rested herself on her elbows as she looked down at his beautiful face. "See, there's just one problem with that. You're under doctor's orders…"_

"_And I've talked to my doctor and my physical therapist and they both agree that as long as I don't overwork myself, there is no problem with me getting my freak on." He loved her laugh. "I won't be able to tie you up or do some of the other things you like, like when I…" Her popping him upside the head made him change his course. "Well you know… but I figured we could still do some things."_

_His smile was causing her to smile, but she wouldn't give in…not yet anyway. "You really talked to your doctor about having sex." He nodded his head. "Well how do you propose that happen without you overworking yourself?"_

_Dave shrugged. He had it all figured out from the moment the doctor gave him the green light. "I figured you could do all the work. I am injured you know." He held her hair back as she leaned down to kiss him. "I'm gonna miss waking up next to you every morning." The sincerity in voice was unmistakable._

_Britain smiled just before she kissed him again. "Me too. But in two weeks, when you come to Miami…you're going to have the biggest birthday party and then you'll get to wake up with me for as long as you want."_

"_You brazen hussy. Are you trying to seduce me?" He asked with a smile._

"_Is it working?" She laughed when he nodded and kissed her again._

Britain smiled to herself thinking about her last night with Dave. That had been the first time in almost six weeks that they had sex and to her recollection it had been one of the best. Maybe it was because she knew she was leaving or maybe it was because they hadn't done it in so long. No matter how she tried to rationalize it, she knew it was because they were in love.

She reached over the side of the tub and grabbed her cell phone. She had made a decision, she wanted to tell him. She had waited until he had recovered from his operation and though he wasn't fully back to his old self, he was far from being the invalid he was when he first came home. The only problem she faced now was how.

"Hello?" Jericho's voice was groggy when he answered.

"Hey…it's Britain. You busy?" If anyone could give her insight on what to say to Dave, it was Jericho. He had the answers for everything; he always did. It was amazing that someone so young could be so wise.

Jericho looked over at the clock and yawned. "No…what's going on?"

"I need to talk to you. Where are you?"

"Chicago. We're gonna be here for a few days. What's up?" He knew that tone in her voice. Something was wrong with his little Buttercup.

Britain debated if she should say something over the phone, but then decided against it. This was a conversation that she needed to have with him in person. "Can I see you tomorrow? I'm in Detroit right now. I can fly out there."

"Sure. Are you okay?" He was concerned. It wasn't like her to just up and fly across state lines just to talk to him. This was definitely something major.

Britain tried to fight back her tears. She had tried talking to X, but she could be difficult at times. When she told her that she finally told Dave that she loved him, X was less than thrilled. Her pimp dreams had been flushed away with those three words. And when Britain asked her how she should tell Dave, she was answered with, "_I wouldn't tell him shit."_ Almost John's words exactly. "I'm fine. I just need a friend right now."

Jericho gave her the information on where he was staying. He didn't care what his schedule looked like, Britain needed him and to him that was more important then anything else.

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The relationship between Chris Jericho and Britain Weis was hard for even them to understand. Neither one of them had much in common, but it something about the other that they were both instantly attracted to. Their relationship was never the lustful kind, but it was just two people that clicked. She was wild and crazy; he was more down to earth. He loved that she often did things without thinking; he was her center of gravity. From the first time he had met her, he knew he needed to watch out for her. Marcus "Buff" Bagwell was a dick. Any and everyone who worked for WCW knew that. The only person that he had managed to snow was Britain.

Jericho warned her from day one to be careful around Marcus. He was a womanizer, he was hot tempered, and he had been known to do some pretty crass shit before. Britain was a kid that had no clue what kind of guy she was dealing with. And it wasn't like Jericho and Bagwell weren't friends. As long as you weren't sleeping with Bagwell, he was pretty cool to be around. If nothing else, his stories always kept the locker-room entertained. When he walked in one day with this beautiful young model on his arm, everyone knew it was only a matter of time before Bagwell had yet another story to tell. But Bagwell told her he loved her and she believed him.

"Hey." Jericho greeted Britain with a smile and big hug as he opened his hotel room door. "You look great. I can't tell you how beautiful you are."

Britain faked shock and clutched her chest. "Now Cupcake…we both know that you're the beautiful one."

"Well…that's true." He led her in the room and closed the door behind her. He had no idea what to expect, but she didn't look like she was in any physical harm.

Britain kicked off her shoes and sat on his bed. She folded her legs under her, she knew she was going to be there for some time, and took a deep breath. "So…what's going with you? How are you doing?"

Jericho knew her stall tactics well. He also knew that she would get to her problem in her time. He could play along. He had been doing it for years. "I'm good." He looked at her and his eyes danced. "I'm leaving."

"What do you mean you're leaving?" He couldn't be leave, she needed him! Granted she hadn't talked to him in years, but she knew that if she ever _really_ needed him, he was right where she could find him. If nothing else all she had to do was turn on the TV and he was right there for her.

He walked over to the bed and took a seat next to her. "I'm not renewing my contract. I'm taking some time off." He didn't know how she would react, but he wanted her to be the first to know. "Jess' pregnant. It's a boy."

"Really?" She smiled ignoring the quick pain of sadness that shot through her body. She caught her breath before it could escape her lungs. "That's great." She tried to sound as genuine as possible although that news hurt and she didn't know why. It's not like she ever thought about it before, why would it bother her now?

"I'm going to be a father." He was in total disbelief. He knew he shouldn't be talking to her of all people about him being a father, but he wanted her to know. "I just wanna be home, ya know. I want to go through it all with her."

She nodded because she understood. "You're gonna make a great dad." She meant every word of that.

Chris turned to Britain and wrapped his arms around her. There were so many things he wanted to say to her. "You sure you're okay?" He spoke in a soft voice, not knowing if his news of his leaving and paternity would make her more lost than she already seemed to be.

"Dave told me he loves me." She wasn't quite sure why she started there, but it was as good of a place as any.

Chris' smile widened. "Really? That's a good thing right?" Judging by her face, he wasn't sure she thought so.

She nodded with uncertainty. "Hunter knows. He's gonna tell him."

If it was one thing that frustrated Jericho about Britain, it was that she never followed his advice. He could tell her exactly how things were going to play out, but did she ever listen? No. He knew it was because deep down, she always hoped he was wrong. Most of the time, _he_ hoped he was wrong. But when it came to her, he rarely was. "I thought we talked about this already. Why haven't you told him?"

"I don't know how."

A knock at the door interrupted her confession to her friend. Jericho put is finger up to signal her to wait one moment as he went to answer the door. Britain felt a big smile cross her face when Eddie Guerrero walked through the door.

"Niña…I didn't know you were here." Eddie said with a smile, walking over to her and hugging her tightly.

Britain was so enthralled in seeing Eddie that she didn't notice Rey standing there or the fact that Jericho wouldn't let him leave. "I'm gonna go." Rey said turning around, ignoring Jericho trying to stop him.

"Rey?" It was time they settled this. Britain was tired of this fight between them, but when he wouldn't turn around that pissed her off. "Oscar!" That grabbed his attention. "I just wanted to apologize for yelling at you. I know you didn't tell Hunter."

Rey still didn't turn to face her. Instead he shrugged and grabbed the handle of the door.

"When are you going to stop hating me? What do I have to do?" To know that he felt so much anger towards her broke her heart. They were so close once. Even if they were never that way again, she just wanted him not to hate her anymore.

Rey's shoulders slumped when turned around. He looked over at Eddie who was sitting beside Britain holding her hand. He could see the glassy look in her beautiful eyes. This was wrong. "I don't hate you, Britain. I never did."

"You have a strange way of showing it then."

He took a few steps toward her and looked at her like he couldn't believe that she didn't understand. "Do you know what you did to me? Do you know what it was like?"

"It was probably the same as it was for Chris and Eddie, Rey. The only difference is that they never changed toward me. They knew I fucked up and they forgave me for that."

He shook his head. After all these years she still didn't get it. "It was different for them because they weren't in love with you. I loved you so much. Do you know how it felt to know that you would rather be with an asshole like Bagwell then me? We all tried to tell you what kind of person he was, but you didn't care. You just did your own thing because you always do." He let out a defeated sigh and decided he was going to tell her everything. "It was one thing to see you like that. I could even handle going back to that locker-room and listen to those guys talk shit about how good you were and how easy you were. But then to see it again when they played the videotape…then I turn around and you're right back on his arm. That killed me. I wasn't good enough for you. But he dishonored you and you loved him for it."

Britain was taken aback. She never once knew Rey's side of it. She didn't know he felt like _that_. She knew he had a crush, but he was in love with her? "I had no idea; I swear. It wasn't that you weren't good enough; it was that you were my friend. The four of us..." She pointed between herself, Jericho, Eddie and Rey, "were like the four musketeers. You three were my boys. I always needed my boys. Eddie has always been the big brother I never had. Chris is my rock. But you, you were mi familia…mi raza. You were my soul…have you had your soul taken away from you Rey? It hurts." She could feel the first tears slowly fall over her lids, yet she kept a smile on her face remembering how close they all were. "I fucked up. I made a mistake, but I had a good time doing it. I never meant to hurt you, but I never felt that way about you. You were my friend and that to me was more important than what I thought was your crush on me. I don't regret it; the only thing I regret is that you hated me because of it."

Rey saw the look in her eyes and he realized that he missed years of her friendship. "I never hated you. I was heartbroken, but I never hated you." He stepped to her and wrapped his arms around her. It felt so good to hold her again. No matter what, if she never felt that way about him, he had his friend back and that was better than nothing. "So, Batista's the new lucky guy, huh?"

Britain nodded resting her head on Eddie's shoulder. "I love him." She looked over at Chris and sighed. "Now, how I am going to tell him?"

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Dave's 37th birthday party was a huge success. Britain had rented out a club for the event and spared no expense for his big day. Granted, his birthday was the week before the party, but she wasn't home to do anything about it. He didn't mind, it's not like he had anything to do anyway. Britain had invited his friends, co-workers, luckily they were in Miami for Raw, and some of her friends as well. Everyone had a good time, that was until Hunter decided he wanted to speak to Britain.

She still didn't know why she had invited him. It would have seemed suspicious had she not, but now she regretted that decision. He had waited until Dave was deep in conversation with Ric and Jericho before he pulled Britain by the arm out into the hallway.

John saw Hunter's little action and tapped Randy and nodded toward the door. He still didn't know what the deal was with them, but he didn't like the way that Hunter was always dogging her out when Dave wasn't around. Both John and Randy knew that when Hunter had his mind set on something, he could be a cold hearted asshole. If nothing else, they were going to make sure that he didn't hurt Britain in anyway.

"What do you want?" She asked yanking her arm back. If there was one thing Britain didn't like, it was to be man-handled.

Hunter rolled his eyes and looked at her with a smirk. "I gave you enough time to have your fun. It's over. When he comes back, he's getting pushed for the belt. End it now. If you don't tell him, I will."

If Britain could have beat him to death with her stilettos, she would have. But then she'd have to find a way to hide the body. "What's your problem with me? I haven't done anything to you." She wasn't going to cry, not in front of an asshole like that. "I love him; please just leave it alone." Maybe appealing to his sensitive side would work.

"Well that's too damn bad." Hunter's smile widened when he saw John and Randy standing in the doorway. If he could humiliate her in front of an audience, even better. "You're low class; I told you that before. I don't have time to make sure sluts like you don't fuck all the talent. That kinda shit tends to fucks with a champion and he needs to be on point before you cause him another fucking injury."

"Oh get over yourself. This shit you do for living isn't real…it's fucking written. It's entertainment, not the fucking Olympics." She had just about enough of him for a lifetime. "I don't like people telling what I can and can't do. I'm not leaving Dave. If you don't like that, then fuck you."

Hunter reached out and turned her back around to face him. No one talked to him that way. "I bet you _would_ like to fuck me, wouldn't you? You're all about the gang bang right? What do you say, me, Cena, and Orton? It'll be just like old times for you. That kinda shit gets you off doesn't it, Eightball?"

"What the fuck is Eightball?" Randy turned to John who shrugged. "Look man…leave that girl alone. Come on, Britain."

"Mind your business, Orton. This is between me and her."

John stepped toward Hunter and glared. "Well this shit now involves us too. Back the fuck off Hunt."

Hunter rolled his eyes at John. "So what? You fucking them already?"

"You don't know shit about shit." She said through clinched teeth. She was tired of letting him bully her into doing something that she didn't want to do. "It was a long time ago and I'm not ashamed of what I did."

"Then you won't mind if I tell him." Hunter challenged with a smile. He moved in closer and ran his finger down her cheek. "What do you say? You still got it in you to take all of us on? Or do you want more? Cause I can call Hall, Steiner, Luger, Whitman and anyone else you want."

Before she knew what happened, she slapped his face. "Go to hell."

Hunter laughed. "You got until tomorrow, or I'm ending this shit for you."

She watched him walk away and put her head down. There was nothing she could do. Not even John holding her, trying to tell her that everything would be alright was enough to make her believe it. Dave was going to find out regardless and since he was, it was going to have to be from her and not a prick like Hunter


	19. Confessions of the Heart

Confessions of the Heart

If Britain Weis didn't model, she could have been an actress. She had perfected the art of acting like nothing was wrong and for the duration of Dave's birthday party, she did just that; she flashed her smile and charmed the guests, and the whole time no one except John, Randy, and Hunter knew that she was dying inside. Even Dave was completely oblivious to her worry; the slight buzz he was enjoying may have played a factor in that.

By the time they made it back to her condo, she had convinced herself that it was business as usual. She would enjoy one more night with him and deal with telling him the truth in the morning. If nothing else, she just wanted one more night in his arms, before he walked away…because they _always_ walked away.

She stood in front of the mirrored wall in her bedroom and removed her jewelry. Looking over at the clock, she counted the amount of hours she had left to be happy. She didn't even notice Dave standing behind her.

"I had a great birthday party." He smiled kissing her neck. "Thank you."

Britain turned to him and smiled back. "You're welcome." She accepted his kisses and felt her heart breaking each time his lips touched hers. She pulled back from him and lowered her eyes. "I'm gonna take a shower."

Dave didn't want her out of his embrace. His arm was still not back to normal, but he was at least at seventy-five percent. He was ready to show her how hard he had been working on recovering...repeatedly. "You want some help with that?"

She touched her hand to his face and laughed. "I think I got this one."

He leaned down and placed a kiss just below her ear. "Don't take too long."

She nodded and started toward the bathroom.

Dave sat on her bed and took off his shirt. With each button he couldn't help but to smile; he hadn't had that much fun in a very long time. Especially with being home for weeks after his surgery, it was good to be around his friends again. And the fact that Britain was the one that went through all of the trouble to throw him a birthday bash just made it that much sweeter. This night was perfect…it couldn't get any better. "Hey, Babe?" Dave spoke loud enough for her to hear him in the bathroom.

She walked toward her bedroom and leaned up against the door, toothbrush in hand. "Yeah?"

"Hunter said you needed to talk to me about something. What's up?"

Britain closed her eyes and held her breath. _Damn him…_ He couldn't even let her do it on her own time; he _had_ to force her into telling him. It was no sense in delaying the inevitable any longer. She sat her toothbrush on the dresser and lifted her chin as she made her way to sit next to him.

Dave noticed the look on her face right away. "What's wrong?"

Britain looked up at the ceiling and shook her head. She didn't want to tell him but she had no choice. "I don't think we should see each other anymore." She lied because it was easier than telling him the truth.

"What?!?" He was expecting her to say that she didn't want to go to his mom's for Easter or she really couldn't stand hanging out with his friends. Never once did the thought of them breaking up cross his mind.

She didn't want a confrontation. Just once she wanted him to except what she was saying and not try to read anymore into it. "Hunter doesn't like me and he doesn't want me to see you." She kept her voice low and even, like a child defending their position to a parent that they didn't want to disappoint.

"I don't give a fuck what Hunter wants!" Dave was bordering between confusion and anger at that exact moment. "Since when does Hunter have a say in what goes on with you and me?"

_Damn it…just leave it alone._ There was no way around it. She took a deep breath and looked him in the eye. "I did something a few years ago and Hunter found out about it. He's right. We shouldn't be seeing each other."

Dave stared through her. "Well…"

Why was he going to make her say it? All he had to do was walk away. "Your gonna make me tell you, aren't you?"

"Yeah. I need to know the reason that you're ripping my fucking heart out right now." He didn't care if he sounded cold, she was killing him. He had such a perfect day with her. Where the hell did this secret past come from? What could have possibly been so bad that it was going to end their relationship?

The easiest way to say it was not to name names. "Look…a few years ago, I use to date this guy that worked for WCW. Everybody told me that he was a bastard, but I didn't listen. We were at this party because his friend just got pushed for the championship." Although all the details of that night were sketchy, she remembered the party and the way Steiner's house was decorated with streamers and a big banner hanging over the front door. "We were having a great time and I was bombed out of my fucking mind. He started kissing me and whispering to me…and I told him we couldn't because of all the people in the house. He told me not to worry about it because everybody was doing their own thing...they wouldn't even notice. I don't think I thought about it…I just said what the hell. I kinda liked the idea that people may be watching us." When she was younger, Britain was fearless. She was Britain Weis, up and coming model. Her face was all over magazines, everyone from Tommy Hilfiger to Fendi wanted her to be their girl. She was dating Marcus Bagwell, one of the hottest guys in the WCW. What did she have to lose?

Britain refused to cry, it wasn't something she was sad about, but the fear of how Dave would react made eyes start to burn. "He fucked me on a pool table in front of the entire party; his friends, his co-workers…everybody. People were cheering and telling him what to do to me and throwing down money to place bets on if I would let him do it." She remembered the song that was playing on the radio and the cat calls from the spectators. "It also happened to be his friend's birthday and my boyfriend told me that he wanted to give me as a present. He told me that he would be right there the whole time to make sure nothing crazy went down and that I would make his friend _really_ happy." Britain had always had a little crush on Lex Luger. Ever since she was a little girl, she always thought he had an amazing body. "I figured why not…he was hot. So after him, it was the guy whose party it was. I noticed that there was a line forming behind him and the whole time my boyfriend was right there, encouraging me." She could remember Luger and Steiner but after that it got fuzzy. "I don't even remember how many guys I did…all I knew was, I having the time of my life.

The next thing I remember is Ric Flair putting his coat around me and me telling him that I didn't want to leave. I remember throwing up in his car and him taking me to Jericho's hotel room." Jericho was so shocked when Ric told him what went down, but he wouldn't take that out on Britain. She couldn't even remember her name she was so drunk; he had even contemplated taking her to the hospital for alcohol poisoning. He didn't hold her accountable for her actions that night, he couldn't. "Jericho told me that I had to get away from the guy I was dating. He made me promise to leave him alone." If only she would have listened to Jericho things would never had played out the way they did. "My boyfriend came around two days later to find me…he cared that much about me that it took him two whole days to realize that I was gone. He told me that he was sorry and he was drunk and that none of that should have happened. He asked me to forgive him…then he told me he loved me. And like a dummy, I believed him and I left with him." Had she done as Jericho asked and never gone back to Bagwell, things in their relationship wouldn't have spiraled out of control and all of the subsequent events of that relationship, that was doomed from the start, could have been avoided. If Dave wanted stories of how shitty her relationships had been, she had plenty of Bagwell stories to tell.

Dave sat there quietly listening to the story trying to figure out who _that_ Britain was. _His_ Britain wasn't anything like that girl.

This was the part of the story that she didn't like to think about. She could handle what she did, not how people reacted. "A few days later I went backstage at one of their shows and I noticed the stares and I heard the whispers and them laughing at me. They started calling me _Eightball_ because of the pool table. And I had guys coming up to me, throwing down money betting each other what they could make me do…right in front of me. Apparently someone videotaped it and I was the highlight reel in the locker-room. Jericho and Eddie got the tape and destroyed it, but it didn't stop the talk. I had become the company whore. Even people who weren't there were saying things about me. I didn't understand why they were acting like that; we all had a good time. I wasn't ashamed of what I did until Rey, who was one of my best friends, told me that I was a whore."

"Britain…"

She put her hand on his chest to stop him from talking. "You're getting a shot at being the champion. You're going to hold the company on your shoulders. People are gonna pay to see _you._ You don't need the whispers when you walk down the hall. Every time you see those guys that came over, you're gonna wonder. And I can't tell you for sure how many of your friends and co-workers, I've been with or what we did. I don't remember."

"And Hunter's been blackmailing you with this?" Dave's anger shifted from Britain's ex-boyfriend to Hunter. Never once was he angry with her.

She nodded. "As much as I hate to admit it, he's right. This thing with us can't work because I still don't see where I did anything wrong. I was having fun and I don't regret one second of it. Is that the type of person you want around your kids?"

His silence told her everything. She had hoped that by some miracle he would tell her he understood or that everything was fine. But she knew the truth, it couldn't last. The first tear slowly rolled down her face when she realized what she had to do. "I'm going to save myself the pain and embarrassment of having you walk out on me and I'm just going to ask you to leave."

Dave couldn't understand what she was talking about. Didn't them being in love count for anything? He didn't say anything instead he shook his head in disbelief.

"Please...just go." She touched his cheek and smiled at him. "It's over."

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Britain stood in her kitchen letting the tears roll silently. She was angry with herself because she had to end things. She was angry with herself because she still didn't feel any remorse for her poor judgment. And most of all, she was angry that she let Hunter for ruin the best thing that ever happened to her.

She heard her door open and she rapidly wiped her eyes. She knew X would be coming in whenever the hell she wanted to. After Dave's party, X decided to go to a few clubs with some of their old friends. She didn't want X to see her cry over a guy, not again.

"Hey…" X said walking over to the fridge. "So…you know that guy John, Dave's friend? I could fuck him. He's hot."

Britain smiled but still didn't turn around. "Yeah…he is."

"Why are you still up? I thought for sure you and Dave would've brought out the whips and chains by now." She grabbed a bottle of water and hopped up on the counter.

"He's gone."

"Gone where?"

Britain turned around to face her best friend. "I told him…it's over."

X couldn't believe it. Dave made Britain happy. Although she wouldn't admit it, she was happy that Britain was happy. How dare he walk out on her? "Are you okay?"

Britain nodded. "It was for the best, anyway." If she talked about it anymore, she was going to cry. "I'm going to bed. Goodnight."

X watched Britain walk up the hall and into her room. She knew that if Britain didn't fall apart already, it was only a matter of time. And when she did, she would be there for her, just like always. "Goodnight."

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Dave Batista stormed through the Hilton hotel on a mission. He was going to find Hunter and rip his fucking head off. As soon as he got off the elevator he noticed Randy standing in the hallway.

Randy's smile faded as soon as he noticed the pissed look on Dave's face. "Hey bro…what are you doing here?"

Dave walked right past him and continued toward Hunter's room.

Randy ran in the opposite direction to get John and Ric. Before he even get the door open to John's room, he had ready started explaining the situation. "Dave's gonna kill Hunt…" He ran back down the hall to get Ric. If anyone could stop Dave it was Ric.

Dave didn't knock, he didn't think to. Instead he kicked the door open. "What the fuck is your problem?" He yelled at Hunter as he continued to charge toward him. "You been holding this shit over her head? How long have you known? How long have you been making her feel like shit?"

Hunter was not expecting _that_ reaction from Dave. In his mind, Britain was a good time girl; she was just something to do when Dave got bored. "Man, that bitch ain't worth this." Hunter held on to Dave's hands which were firmly gripping the collar of his shirt. "I was protecting my investment."

"I'm not your fucking investment! I'm your friend!" Dave let Hunter go and looked at him like he didn't know who he was. "Do you have any idea what you did? I'm in love with her and she thinks that if she's with me, she's jeopardizing my career!"

"Dave…calm down!" Ric yelled behind him to get his attention.

"And you…you knew?" He turned and glared at Ric. "Did you know too?" He directed his attention to both John and Randy. "Everybody fucking knew and no one decided to clue me in? Were you all in agreement with this asshole? Did anybody give a fuck how _I _might feel about it?"

"It's for your own good. She was gonna bring you down. You got to much riding on you to deal with her and her shit."

"Fuck you. Don't tell me what the fuck I have to deal with." Dave turned his dark glare back to the man that started it all. "You stay the fuck away from me _and _Britain."

Hunter looked at his friend confused. He was only trying to save him from getting hurt. Dave had no right to turn on him. "I was looking out for you. What happened to bros before hos?"

"You ain't my bro, not anymore…fuck you."

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Britain laid in her bed in the dark thinking about how fast everything fell apart. She should have known that she couldn't be happy with Dave. Guys like him didn't happen to her. She had never met someone that treated her like she was important. Dave was the only man besides her father that made her feel special. But now that was gone and it was nothing she could do to stop that.

She looked at his shirt, still where he'd left it, and she let her hands run over the silky material. She smiled thinking about how good he looked wearing it, the way he didn't button the first two buttons and how his massive chest and wife-beater peeked out from underneath of it. She could still hear her girlfriends commenting on how handsome he was and she could still see that smile on his face when he kissed her after they sang happy birthday to him.

Britain brought the shirt up to her nose and smelled his cologne. That's when it really hit her…he was gone and he wasn't coming back. She let all of the tears and sadness come out as she clung to his shirt, holding it under her cheek. She knew it would hurt, but she didn't think it would hurt like this.

X had changed into boxers and a t-shirt before she went to check on Britain. She tapped softly on her door and opened it when she didn't get a response. She heard soft whimpers, but she couldn't see her in the dark. "Brit…"

Britain sniffled and turned her head toward the sound of X's voice. "Yeah?"

"You okay?"

It was no use in hiding it, she was falling apart. "No..." She tried to catch her breath but it only made her cry harder.

"Oh, Britain…" X walked across the room and climbed in the bed beside her. "Come here." She watched as Britain turned around to face her and her heart broke for her. Her face was covered in tears and she looked like her world was ending. Christina wrapped her arms around Britain and held on to her as she cried.

"I love him."

"I know you do, mija."

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"You have gotta be the dumbest fuckin' asshole I ever met." John Cena was pissed. It was one thing for Hunter to fuck up, but for _Dave_ to do it? That was just beyond the realm of reason. "B is fuckin' in to you…what the fuck did you leave for?"

Dave was sick of listening to John yell at him. "She told me to leave! What the fuck was I supposed to do?"

"Whatever the fuck it takes!" John Cena had never been in love; that wasn't his thing. But he knew what it looked like when he saw it. "I ain't _never_ seen you act the way you act around her. B fucking makes you happy…and you keep a smile on her face. And you let fucking Hunter end that shit? What the fuck is wrong with you?"

"She made a mistake. It's not like you haven't." Ric's face was turning beet red as he sat in the room glaring at Dave. "I was there…I saw what happened. That girl was so drunk she didn't know her name, let alone what was going on and they all knew it. I don't even think she knows half of the shit that went on. It was fucked up, but I don't blame her for it and neither should you."

Dave tried to open his mouth, but Randy's voice silenced him. "Bro…I don't like to get in your business but this chick has everything. She's funny, she's hot, she puts up with your ass…what the fuck else she gotta do for you, huh? So what, she fucked a couple of guys…it ain't no worse than some of the shit we pulled off together."

"You know what, fuck this! You gonna act like you're too good for her, give me her fucking number. I'll take up the fucking slack…dumb motherfucker." John stormed out the room and slammed the door behind him. He couldn't quite figure out why he was so upset, but he really liked Britain and she didn't deserve what Hunter _or_ Dave did to her.

Dave sat there looking at Ric and Randy trying to figure out how he could fix this. For all he knew, he had probably lost his job and he was still out with an injury and he had lost the respect of his friends. But none of that mattered because the only thing he could think about was the fact that he had lost the love of his life.

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X woke up to the sound of the doorbell. She looked over at Britain who was finally asleep, still wrapped in her arms. She tried to ignore the ringing, she knew who it was, but he wouldn't stop. Quietly she got out of the bed and padded through Britain's condo to answer the door. She didn't look through the peep hole or bother to ask who was there, instead she swung the door wide open, placed her hand on her hip, leaned her weight on one leg, knitted her brow and sucked her teeth. "What the fuck do you want?"

Dave should have expected that Britain's bulldog was there to protect her. If he actually wanted to make it in the door, he had to be calm. "I need to talk to her."

"No."

Dave sighed. He didn't want to fight with X at 4:30 in the morning. "Please? I need to talk to her." He kept his voice as calm and monotoned as it had been the first time.

X stood to the side to let him in, but she grabbed his arm before he could walk any further into the house. "You got a lot of fucking nerve showing up here. You walked out on her..."

Why was everyone blaming him for walking out? He didn't walk out. "She put me out!"

"You didn't have to leave! You were supposed to stay and fight. You were supposed to tell her that she worth whatever the fuck you gotta go through to be with her. She's a fucking mess right now. Do you know how hard it is for her to trust men? She left herself open and you managed to shit all over her." X had been polite and friendly to Dave every time she had seen him. But that was before he had hurt her best friend. Now all bets were off.

Dave had just about enough of everyone blaming him. He came back to set it straight, but no one wanted to give him credit for that. "How the fuck do you think I feel? She told me she didn't want to see me anymore. She didn't give me a fucking chance."

"So what? If you always had people take what they want and then throw you away, would you really stop to think that maybe this one wants to stay and fight it out?"

Dave hung his head defeated. There was nothing he could say to make Christina understand. "Can I please talk to her?"

X narrowed her eyes and sized him up. "I'm gonna tell you like this. If you hurt her or make her cry again, I swear on all that is Holy that I will stomp a mudhole in your ass."

With an annoyed nod, Dave turned and headed toward Britain's bedroom. He walked in the quiet room and made his way over to the small lamp on her nightstand. Turning it on, he looked over at her sleeping, still holding on to his shirt. Her face was puffy and from the amount of tissues on the bed and in the trash can, she had really taken their breakup hard.

Britain felt a tickle on her nose that started between her eyes and down to the tip and then slowly back up. She knew that tickle, but she refused to believe it. Dave was gone, he wasn't coming back, but when her eyes opened with a flutter and there he was.

"We need to talk." His voice was quiet and his face was somber. He wasn't quite sure what he was going to say, but whatever it was, it was going to be from his heart.

It would have been easier to get over him, if he wasn't there. All she needed was two weeks to get him out of her system. Did he just come to twist the knife? "Why are you here?"

"Because you're here." Dave knelt beside her bed and noticed how she never lifted her head off the pillow. "You broke my heart tonight and somehow you're okay with that." He took a deep breath and decided to lay it all out for her. "It took me 36 years to fall in love and I'll be damned if Hunter or anybody else is gonna take that away from me."

"You don't understand." She was doing this for his own good. "You can't handle a scandal, Dave. You don't need it. You're gonna be the champ…"

"Fuck that. You think a fucking belt is more important to me than you?" Why was this so hard for her to understand? He was in love with her, what else mattered besides that? "My career means a lot to me, but you mean more. I love you."

"You can't. You have kids and this moral code that you live by. I don't fit into that, Dave."

He shook his head in disbelief. "I don't know why you think I'm some choir boy, but that damn sure isn't me." He needed her to see that he was human and just a flawed as she was. "After my second divorce, me and Orton started hanging out a lot because he was convinced that I needed to start dating again. We were in Toronto at this bar and this group of girls came up to us. One of them slipped Orton her room key and said that she wanted _both_ of us to come up to her room. When we got there we were outnumbered. It was like eight of them and just us two. _I_ was the one that had the brilliant idea to call some more guys to come over." He looked at Britain and shrugged. "That was my first orgy, and it damn sure wasn't my last. I didn't care anything about any of those girls. I didn't ask _any_ of them their names or ages. I didn't give a fuck. But that didn't stop me from asking each and every one of them to blow me or fucking them in the ass."

"Why are you telling me this?"

If she didn't understand by now, it was truly a lost cause. "Because we all have a past and we all make stupid mistakes. I don't care how many guys you've been with, I don't care if they whisper behind my back. What I care about is that when I come home, I'm coming home to you."

She wanted to believe him, but she didn't want to get her hopes up. "What about Hunter?"

"Fuck Hunter. I already talked to Vince. When I come back, I'm going to Smackdown. I don't think I can work with him…not right now anyway." Dave told Vince the whole story and he was surprised at how easily he went along with it.

"And your push?"

He smiled. She was still trying to take care of him. "I'm taking the belt over with me." He noticed the silent tears rolling down her face and reached over to wipe them away. "You need to come up with better excuses than that for why we can't be together. Otherwise, you need to move over because I'm tired and I want to go to sleep with you in my arms." Dave Batista didn't cry, but he could feel his eyes clouding with tears.

"Are you sure?" She was almost afraid to ask.

He nodded and stood. He took off his pants and his t-shirt and pulled back the covers on her bed. He watched as Britain rolled over to make room for him and when he laid down and felt her head touch his chest and her arms come around him all he could do was hold her and kiss her head.

"I love you, Dave." This was the first time she had said it out loud. When she told him that one time before, she had whispered it in hopes that he didn't hear her. She had told everyone else how she felt about him, but she hadn't told him that again since that night.

Dave smiled and held her tighter. "Say that again."

"I love you."

"One more time." He looked down at her face and laughed. "I like the way it sounds."

"I …love… you."

He leaned down to taste her lips and sighed contently. "I love you too, Britain."


	20. Epilogue

_A/N 1: It was an honor to use Mr. Guerrero in my story. I pray that his soul is at rest and his legacy live on always! God bless!_

Epilogue

Dave walked into the living room and looked out the window. He couldn't get the look of disgust off of his face. No matter how scenic the view was, he didn't like it. He looked around the large room and turned up his lip. This place wasn't right and no one was going to convince him otherwise.

Britain sat on the floor in the bedroom drumming her fingers on her leg. From her position, she noticed the crown molding on the ceilings and how good of a job the carpenters had done on the hardwood floors. This place was amazing and anyone would be crazy to pass it up.

"Oh my God…I love this place." Chase squealed happily, turning to Britain. "It's perfect. Just look at this view from this window."

Britain stood up and joined Chase. The view from the window overlooked a small park, where there were kids playing and had a duck pond nearby. "That _is_ nice."

"I don't know. It's a little _bourgeois_ don't you think?" Emily looked at Chase and turned up a brow.

Britain rolled her eyes and bit her tongue. She wasn't going to go off on that woman, not today anyway. "_I_ think it's a great apartment. I grew up not to far from here."

"Figures…" Emily said under her breath before exiting the room.

_Bitch…_Britain turned to see Maddy running into the room with Alli following closely behind.

"Chase, this place is amazing. They have a pool downstairs and there's this life guard… he's so cute. I'm gonna go back downstairs and talk to him." Maddy was out of breath, but talking a mile a minute.

Britain put up her hand and shook her head. "Maddy, what did we talk about?"

"Excitability. Never let a guy know that you're pressed." Maddy repeated the credo with a nod. Britain was her mentor, she was going to learn to drive Randy crazy even it if took years of perfecting Britain's teachings.

Britain nodded and patted Maddy's head with a smile. "That's my girl." She turned her attention back to Chase and sighed. "You really like it?"

"Yeah…but Daddy'll never go for it. You know he still wants me to live on campus. This is the fifth place we've looked at and he's found something wrong with _every_ one of them." Chase leaned up against the window and lowered her eyes. "I love this place. I want this apartment."

"You _really _want it."

Chase nodded sadly.

"Then it's yours."

"How?" Chase knew that Britain could get her father to bend on certain things, but letting her move out on her own, into her first apartment in, LA no less…that wasn't possible.

Britain wiggled her brows and smiled. "Watch and learn." She made her way to the living room and paused just to look at Dave. He was standing by the window wearing an Orioles jersey and khaki shorts with a matching baseball cap. He looked like he just stepped out of a frat house, but he still managed to make her heart speed up just by looking at her.

_For the past year, Britain and Dave had been inseparable. Although she still lived in Miami and he lived in Tampa, they made time to see each other. Even if Britain had to take time off from her schedule to join him on the road or if he came to Miami only for a few days before going home and spending the rest of his days off with his children; they made it a point to see each other. Dave had even taken the plunge and asked her to move in with him, which she declined. Britain loved Dave, there was no doubt about that, but she didn't want to give up her independence just yet. _

_Dave made a name for himself at Smackdown and eventually he and Hunter made up. Although their friendship was never the same as it was before everything happened, underneath it all, they were still boys. Granted, Hunter didn't come over to the house that often and Dave made it a point not to leave the two of them alone together, for fear that Britain would haul off and beat the shit out of him; Britain and Hunter managed to be cordial. That didn't stop Hunter from making rude comments to and about her or just doing things in general to piss her off. It also didn't stop Britain from cussing Hunter out at the drop of a hat._

_One of the best things that happened from the whole Hunter fiasco was the relationship that grew between Britain, John, and Randy. John was like a brother to her. He was fiercely protective of her and always looked out for her. Randy liked to pout around her because he learned it would get him hugs and kisses on the cheek. Hanging out with Britain was like hanging out with one of the guys. She cursed like a sailor, she talked about sex like a man…Britain was one of the boys as far as they were concerned and she loved those guys, although she thought they were stupid. It was kind of like hanging out with Jericho, Eddie, and Rey all over again._

_Dave found Britain's relationship with her boys most interesting. He got to spend a lot of his time at work with Eddie and Rey, learning more and more about his girlfriend from their stories, everyday. When Eddie died suddenly, both Dave and Britain were deeply affected, but his death brought something good out of it; it brought them closer. _

_One of the things that Eddie tried to do before he died was to get Rey, Jericho, Britain, and himself back to how they use to be. But with Jericho gone to do Fozzy stuff and be a new father and Britain traveling as much as she did and spending time with Dave; it seemed nearly impossible to get them all together. Just two weeks before Eddie's death, the four of them managed to meet for lunch and they all had a great time. Eddie was always the glue that held all of them together and with him gone, she had drifted away from Rey and Jericho, but it didn't change the way she felt about either of them._

_Britain also had a relationship with Dave's daughters that she wouldn't trade for anything. Chase was still the ultimate Daddy's girl, she still tried to please him no matter what. She and Britain got along great and they would often have heart to hearts about life, love, and everything in between. Alli and Britain…they were still polite enemies that sometimes giggled together late at night. They made an agreement that as long as Emily wasn't around, Alli didn't have to act like she hated her. Although, they wouldn't hang out together and would never be confused as best friends, they both respected the others relationship with Dave and neither tried to overstep their bounds. Britain's relationship with Maddy was something of a mystery to everyone. Maddy and Britain were glued at the hip. She took the young girl under her wing and taught her all the secrets of being a diva. Maddy was a quick study and learned how to play Dave to get what she wanted; everything from the drop of the eyes to an infectious smile, she learned from Britain._

_Emily and Britain still hated each other. Actually, Emily hated Britain; Britain didn't give two shits about Emily, but she was respectful that she was Dave's ex-wife and the mother of his children. Most times, Emily took cheap shots and Britain ended up biting her tongue or cursing her out in a language that Emily didn't understand. Dave often played the referee and truthfully, he found it amusing that Emily finally met someone she couldn't intimidate._

_All in all, as complicated as their relationship was, it was worth it. Dave and Britain had never been closer._

"Hey." Britain said softly putting her arms around Dave's waist and resting her head on his back. "So…what do you think?"

Dave shook his head. This was no place for a 19 year old to live alone. "I don't like it. It's not safe."

Chase stood in the vestibule and felt all her dreams of living on her own slip away. Britain was good, but not that good. There was no way she could get her father to change his mind. She looked over at Maddy who nodded her head with certainty. Maddy had faith; Britain was the mistress of manipulation. She took detailed notes because she knew one day it would come in handy.

Britain made her way in front of him and looked up at him with sad pale eyes. "Davey…" Her voice was a soft purr against his neck. "Chase loves this place. It's two blocks from her school. There's a police station right down the street. It's a gated community." The look on his face said he wasn't buying it. "I grew up around here. This area is safe; I promise."

Dave sighed. "I don't know. She's too young to be on her own. Los Angeles is no place for a young woman to be living without adult supervision."

Britain wrinkled her chin and pouted. Breaking him down was harder than she thought. It was time to pull out the big guns. She leaned in closer to him and whispered in his ear. "What if I told you that if you said yes, it would make me _really _happy?"

He looked at her quizzically. "Really?"

She nodded slowly. "And you know what happens when Britain's happy?" He nodded rapidly, but she was going to remind him just in case he forgot. "When Britain's happy, she makes Davey _really, really _happy."

A slow smile crept across his face forcing Emily to throw up her hands and roll her eyes at the couple. Britain flipped her off behind Dave's back and he didn't notice. Not that he would have been paying attention anyway; he was too busy thinking about what she would do to make him happy.

"How happy?" It was an honest question. He was sacrificing his child's living quarters for _happiness_.

Britain smiled seductively and bit her lip, slowly dragging it between her teeth. "You know that thing that you like for me to do?" That question received a nod. "Well, if you get this place…maybe I could do it here…in _every_ room before Chase ever moves in."

_Every room_, that was only part he heard. "All of them?" He could feel her warm breath against his ear as she whispered and he noticed his grip around her waist was getting tighter and tighter the more he thought about being _happy._

"And I could wear those sandals that you like. We could do it as many times as you can handle." She could see the wheels turning in his head and she laughed at the look on his face.

Dave looked Britain, then over at a hopeful Chase. "Fine…" He didn't want to give in, but he had Britain, Chase, Maddy, _and_ Alli all staring at him. He would look like an ass if he didn't say yes.

"Really?" She whined. "Oh, you're so getting a sample tonight." Britain kissed Dave then wrapped her arms around him in a hug. With his back turned to the girls, Britain gave them the thumbs up and laughed when he groaned at the sounds of them squealing. Chase had her first apartment; it was a piece of cake.

Dave was whipped and he knew it. Britain had the power to make him do anything, even if he didn't want to. It may have been her curves or the color of her eyes or the seductive way she bit her lip...Even though he loved all of those things about her, he knew it wasn't for any of those reasons. Dave caved on _everything_ because he would do _anything_ to make her smile for no other reason then they were in love.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Limiting ones experiences to avoid getting hurt only ends up hurting more. There is no such thing as escaping the past; it always comes back to haunt you. But love has a way of opening people up to try new things, to let go of some of their fears and also healing you from your wounds.

When you are broken, love makes you whole; when you are weak, love makes you strong; and when you are flawed, _true_ love makes you flawless.

Fin.

* * *

_A/N2: Well guys and girls, this is the end of this one. As you know this was my first attempt at a prequel and I learned a valuable lesson; never write one again! It's hard because you limit yourself to what can happen and you still have to stay in the scope of the following story. It's kind of like painting yourself into a corner, but it was interesting and challenging and I had a great time doing it. I enjoyed this; I hope now you see why Dave and Britain are my favorite couple. _

_As I said before, be on the look out for A Perfect Circle. Thanks to TheRealKellyAnne, who was gracious enough to let me bounce some ideas off of her, I feel better with where that story is going to go. I don't know when I'm going to be posting it, but it won't be too long from now. I want to wrap up a few other things I've got unfinished before I throw my all into these guys again._

_I really am humbled by your continued support of my little stories. You really make writing worthwhile. I hope that you have grown to love these characters as much as I do and think of them as real people, just like I do. I would hate to think that I'm crazy all by myself. :-)_

_I thank you for your patience and your trust that I wouldn't ruin stories that you already liked so much. Most of you have stuck with me through 3 stories and you're coming back for more. It is my privilege to write for you!_

_Tanya50801, WeMissYouTrish, Lil'MissCena, Torque, TheRealKellyAnne, Princess Mel, Ilikedemons, Mrs. Jeff. Hardy, Carameltrini, ElizabethxAnne, Luckygirl02, Buffvamp, Losingmymind2, Batistazgirl4ever, Nala23, Enigmatic Lotus Leaf, Erin, Katy, Grleviathan, Lala2004, Matty1, Rawambition, Nefertina-shanf, Katiedid90, and Sarahblue 23…THANK YOU!!!_

_I know I thanked everyone and if I missed someone I'm sorry. But I just to send a special shout out to these folks:_

_**Lil'MissCena** – You are my young friend from across the pond. I look forward to hearing from you everyday, whether it's on FF or myspace. You make me laugh; don't ever lose that sense of humor that you have!_

_**Nefertina-shanf** – I look forward to reviews most. It's really fulfilling when people really get your writing. You always have a way of looking at things and reading what I'm saying even if it isn't on the page. You get the references, you see the undertones and the imagery…you make me feel like I'm doing this right. Thank you for getting me!_

_**TheRealKellyAnne** – Thank you for listening to me. You know that A Perfect Circle will be dedicated to you!_

_**Torque** – You keep me entertained! Keep giving me stuff that sparks my imagination!_

_And of course **Sarahblue23** – I can't tell you how scared I was to have someone edit for me. I was afraid that you were going to change my words and make it something that wasn't mine. But you didn't. You saw what I was trying to say and you made suggestions and corrected it, leaving it as I intended…you helped me get better and I will never be able to thank you enough. This story is dedicated to you!_

_With that…I love you all and thank you. I'm out!_

_Be Easy!_

_Shannon_


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